DEVELOPMENT OF LETTUCE (Lactuca sativa) IN HYDROPONIC TREATED WITH LOW-FREQUENCY ELECTRICAL PULSES

Abstract

New technologies have increased agricultural production in the world and leafy vegetables such as lettuce are gaining commercial prominence in Brazil as they are the most consumed in natura. Methods such as hydroponics, thanks to its level of technification, increase productivity, but can still be improved. There are works and reports that indicate that the application of low-frequency electrical pulses enhances crop productivity, so it is necessary to carry out detailed studies. In this sense, the present work aims to evaluate the influence on the development of hydroponic lettuce in a greenhouse using an electronic anti-scale system. A completely randomized design was used, in a factorial scheme with 3x2x3 sub-divided plots, with four replications. The factors evaluated were frequency of use of the electronic system (constant, intermittent and without use), two fertilization levels of 80% and 100% of the Furlani solution and three production cycles. The use of electrical pulses of constant low frequency obtained lower results in the growth variables. Dosage 80 obtained the best results under temperature stress conditions and the treatment of irrigation water with electrical pulses intermittently obtained similar results to the conventional treatment in the hydroponic lettuce crop.