Standardization of different hydroponic systems in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Abstract

The present study entitled “Comparative performance of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under different hydroponic systems” was conducted during the kharif season of 2024 at the Instructional farm, Centre of Excellence for Vegetables, Agricultural Development Trust, Baramati, Maharashtra to evaluate the effect of various hydroponic systems on the growth, yield and quality of lettuce. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications and eight treatments, viz., T1-Flat Bed NFT, T2-A Frame NFT, T3-Deep Water Culture, T4-Dutch Bucket, T6-Aeroponics, T5-Trough method, T7-Grow Tower/Vertistack and T8-Control. Among the different hydroponic systems evaluated, Deep Water Culture led to the most vigorous vegetative growth, with maximum plant height (20.88 cm), plant spread (28.32 cm), leaf area (200.15 cm²) and number of leaves per plant (18.87). Flat Bed and Dutch Bucket systems also supported substantial plant growth, while Aeroponics promoted notable root development, root length (23.59 cm) and root biomass. With regard to yield performance, Deep Water Culture was superior with the highest fresh weight per plant (103.77 g), yield per system (2.08 kg) and yield per 100 m² (259.42 kg). Overall, this findings shows that the Deep Water Culture and Flat Bed systems are viable for sustainable, high quality lettuce cultivation in protected conditions. While Flat Bed offers operational simplicity and consistent output. While Deep Water Culture demonstrates greater economic feasibility for commercial use due to superior resource efficiency, reduced substrate dependency and higher yield potential.