Agronomic Effects of Different Rock Powder Rates Associated with Irrigation Water Depths: Potential for Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) Production

Patrícia Costa Silva, Matheus Batista Sabino, Maria Beatriz Ferreira (), Narla Costa Oliveira Sabino, Larissa Silva Sousa, Mariana Batista Elias, Amanda de Brito Silva, Ana Flávia Alves Ferreira, Adriana Rodolfo da Costa, Josué Gomes Delmond, Jhon Lennon Bezerra da Silva, Henrique Fonseca Elias de Oliveira, Thieres George Freire da Silva and Marcos Vinícius da Silva
Additional contact information
Patrícia Costa Silva: Department of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Goiás, Santa Helena de Goiás 75920-000, Goiás, Brazil
Matheus Batista Sabino: Department of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Goiás, Santa Helena de Goiás 75920-000, Goiás, Brazil
Maria Beatriz Ferreira: Department of Forest Sciences, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), D. Manoel de Medeiros Ave., Dois Irmãos, Recife 52171-900, Pernambuco, Brazil
Narla Costa Oliveira Sabino: Department of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Goiás, Santa Helena de Goiás 75920-000, Goiás, Brazil
Larissa Silva Sousa: Department of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Goiás, Santa Helena de Goiás 75920-000, Goiás, Brazil
Mariana Batista Elias: Department of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Goiás, Santa Helena de Goiás 75920-000, Goiás, Brazil
Amanda de Brito Silva: Department of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Goiás, Santa Helena de Goiás 75920-000, Goiás, Brazil
Ana Flávia Alves Ferreira: Department of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Goiás, Santa Helena de Goiás 75920-000, Goiás, Brazil
Adriana Rodolfo da Costa: Department of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Goiás, Santa Helena de Goiás 75920-000, Goiás, Brazil
Josué Gomes Delmond: Department of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Goiás, Santa Helena de Goiás 75920-000, Goiás, Brazil
Jhon Lennon Bezerra da Silva: Cerrado Irrigation Graduate Program, Goiano Federal Institute, Campus Ceres, GO-154, Km 218, Rural Zone, Ceres 76300-000, Goiás, Brazil
Henrique Fonseca Elias de Oliveira: Cerrado Irrigation Graduate Program, Goiano Federal Institute, Campus Ceres, GO-154, Km 218, Rural Zone, Ceres 76300-000, Goiás, Brazil
Thieres George Freire da Silva: Agrometeorology Laboratory, Academic Unit of Serra Talhada (UAST), Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Gregório Ferraz Nogueira Ave., Serra Talhada 56909-535, Pernambuco, Brazil
Marcos Vinícius da Silva: Department of Engineering Agricultural, Centro of Sciences Chapadinha, Federal University of Maranhão, BR-222, Chapadinha 65500-000, Maranhão, Brazil

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: Lettuce is among the 10 most valued vegetables for fresh consumption in Brazil. The use of rock powder in lettuce crops for soil acidity correction or fertilization is an option for reducing production costs. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of rock powder rates mica schist and irrigation water depths on the development and production characteristics of lettuce crops. The study was conducted in the experimental area of the State University of Goiás, using pelletized seeds of the lettuce cultivar Crespa Vanda. A randomized block experimental design with four replications was used, in a 4 × 4 factorial arrangement composed of four irrigation water depths: 50%, 75%, 100%, 125% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), and four rock powder rates: 6, 8, 10, and 12 tons per hectare (t ha −1 ), associated with mineral soil fertilizer application, totaling 16 treatments and 64 experimental plots. The variables evaluated were plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, head diameter, total fresh weight, commercial fresh weight, leaf area index, useful leaf area, estimated yield, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and water use efficiency. The data were subjected to regression analysis and principal component analysis. The variables studied exhibited predominantly low to medium coefficients of variation in all treatments, confirming the homogeneous conditions and precision of the study. The treatment with the highest rock powder rate (12 t ha −1 ) provided the best results regarding agronomic effects for all lettuce crop variables evaluated. This rate provided better plant growth and development, resulting in improved response for production variables that are agronomically and economically relevant. The highest water use efficiency was found for the water depth of 50% ETc; however, the best lettuce production results were found for the irrigation water depth of 100% ETc. This water depth highlighted the strong correlation of commercial and total fresh weights with commercial and total production, as they are production components of the crop.

Keywords: crisp lettuce; rock dust; agronomic and production variables; localized irrigation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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