With the aim of minimizing the difficulties faced by producers of crisphead lettuce, specifically those related to the lack of technical information about the quantity of water to be applied, a study was conducted in order to determine the effect of various water depths on the crisphead lettuce yielding characteristics. The experiment was carried out at the Universidade Federal de Lavras, from March to May 2008 in greenhouse. A randomized block design with five treatments and four repetitions was used. The treatments, consisting of five levels of evaporation: 0.30, 0.60, 0.90, 1.20 and 1.50 EVm (evaporate depth), based on depth evaporated in a reduced pan. The results showed that the number of internal leaves and commercial head circumference present a quadratic response to the treatments, where the maximum values were reached at evaporated depth intervals of 0.95 to 1.10; the maximum commercial productivity, 35,308 kg ha-1, was estimated by applying a 204.3 mm depth, which corresponded to a water reposition factor of 1.01; the highest water use efficiency (563.07 kg ha-1 mm-1) was attained when an irrigation depth of 74.53 mm (0.30) was used.
Lactuta sativa L.; irrigation depths; protected environment
