Abstract:
The study was conducted at the pomology project area in, Benguet State University, La Trinidad from November 2013 to February 2014 to evaluate the performance of lettuce as affected by different kinds and rates of organic fertilizers; to determine the best kind and best rate of organic fertilizers for lettuce production; and to determine the economics of using the different kinds and rates of organic fertilizers for lettuce production.
The kind of organic fertilizer applied did not affect the number of days from planting to harvesting, averaging to 40 days. The use of vermicompost considerably increased the marketable yield of lettuce to 6.24 kg per 1x5m2 plot, weight of individual plants at 150.04 g per 1x5m2, and total weight of 6.24 kg per 1x5 plot. Slight infestation of cutworm were recorded from plants applied with the different kinds of organic fertilizer, while no disease was observed during the conduct of the study.
Results show that the rate of fertilizer application did not significantly affect the number of days from planting to harvesting, averaging to 40 days. Application of organic fertilizers at a rate of 4 to 5 tons/ha produced higher marketable yield of 5.123 to 5.239 kg per 1x5m2 plot. Plants applied with organic fertilizer at a rate of 3 tons/ha produced the heaviest heads (114.074 g/1x5m2), while application of organic fertilizer at a rate of 5 tons/ha produced the highest total yield of 5.307 kg per plot. Slight infestation of cutworms was observed having a rating of 3.98, while no disease was recorded during the conduct of the study.
Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended to use vermicompost at the rate of 3t/ha since it promoted the highest ROCE of 74.71%, followed by that of plants applied with vermicompost at a rate of 4 to 5t/ha at 73.56 and 63.85, respectively.
