Alternative substrates, besides allowing the production of quality seedlings, reduce the production costs. In this work we evaluated the production of lettuce seedlings (Lactuca sativa L.) using mixtures of carbonized rice husk and earthworm humus with different doses of SulPoMag®. The experimental design consisted of complete randomized blocks, with five treatments and four replicates. The evaluated mixtures consisted of treatment 1: 70% of earthworm humus (HM) and 30% of carbonized rice husk (CAC), with 12.2 g of Arad phosphate (FA) per each liter of mixture, and treatments 2, 3 and 4: formulated with the same quantities of HM, CAC and FA, added respectively with 2,0; 4,0 and 8,0 g of SulPoMag®. The commercial substrate Bioplant® (SC) was used as control. The characteristics shoot fresh mass (MFPA), root fresh mass (MFRZ), shoot dry matter (MSPA), root dry matter (MSRZ), content of shoot dry matter (TMSPA), content of root dry matter (TMSRZ) and electrical conductivity (CE in dS m-1) were evaluated. The commercial substrate and the mixture 1 were superior to the others. Independent of the doses of SulPoMag®, the mixtures did not present differences among them. The mean values of the treatments for MSPA were in the same tendency for MFPA, except for treatment 3, that presented production of MSPA similar to treatment 1 and the commercial substrate. Raising values of the electrical conductivity (CE) were observed in a linear way, in all mixtures, with increasing doses of SulPoMag®. The production of lettuce seedlings is feasible similar to that obtained with the use of commercial substrate, using raw material found in the property. The production of MFPA was negatively affected by the addition of SulPoMag® in the substrate.
Lactuca sativa L.; organic substrates; electrical conductivity; carbonized rice husk; earthworms humus
