AVALIAÇÃO DE CULTIVARES DE ALFACE CRESPA TOLERANTES A ALTAS TEMPERATURAS E USO DE MULCHING EM CULTIVO DE OUTONO/INVERNO

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of heat-tolerant curly lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivars grown, with and without the use of mulching, in autumn/winter cultivation in Iporá-GO. The Randomized Block Design and the Factorial Scheme were adopted, considering two lettuce cultivars (BRS Leila and BRS Mediterrânea) and the soil cover (with or without mulching with black TNT). For evaluation purposes, the two central plants of each plot were selected and the average weight, length of the largest leaf and stem, number of leaves and leaf area were evaluated. The results indicated that there were no significant differences between cultivars or in relation to the use of mulching for the analyzed variables. Despite this, the average weights obtained were in accordance with the values reported in the literature for the cultivars in question. Mulching has demonstrated advantages such as controlling weeds and maintaining soil quality, but it also presents financial and maintenance challenges. An increase in the crop cycle was observed, which can be attributed to temperatures below the ideal temperature for the crop during the growing season. Despite the length of the cycle, it is possible to recommend the combination of heat-tolerant cultivars and the use of mulching in lettuce crops in autumn-winter, especially in tropical regions, to avoid premature bolting and promote leaf health.