Cultivo da alface com diferentes arranjos espaciais e períodos de exposição ao agrotêxtil.

Abstract

The lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a leafy vegetable that grows and develops satisfactorily in climatic conditions that promote a lower incidence of radiation levels associated with milder temperatures. However, its cultivation in locations in the northeastern semi-arid region, which is characterized by higher radiation levels and temperatures during most of the year, can affect its growth and development and, thus, result in production losses. In this sense, the objective of this work was to evaluate the crop of lettuce with different spatial arrangements and periods of exposure to agrotextile in Pombal - PB. The experiment was carried out at the Experimental Farm “Rolando Enriques Ribas Castellón” of the Center for Agro-food Sciences and Technology (CCTA) belonging to the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG), located in the municipality of São Domingos – PB, during the period from October to December 2023. The experimental design used was randomized complete blocks in 2 x 5 subdivided plots, with five replications. The plot was allocated two spatial arrangements of plants (triangular and quadrangular), both with plants spaced 20 cm apart, and in the subplots, different periods of exposure to the white agrotextile were allocated (0, 8, 16, 24 and 32 days after transplantation). During data collection, characteristics related to lettuce growth and production were evaluated. The spatial arrangement of plants and the period of exposure of the agrotextile on the plants significantly influenced some characteristics related to growth and yield. The quadrangular spatial arrangement promoted greater etiolation in the plant caused by shading due to the greater number of plants per area and the exposure of the agrotextile up to 32 days after transplanting. The cultivation of lettuce in the triangular spatial arrangement, especially after the period of exposing the plants for 26.0 days, provided greater fresh mass of the plant, increasing its quality. With the increase in the period of exposure of plants under the agrotextile, there was a reduction in the differences in total productivity between plants grown in quadrangular and triangular spatial arrangements, in favor of the latter. In terms of total productivity, it is recommended to grow lettuce in a quadrangular spatial arrangement with the agrotextile remaining on the plants for up to 10 days.