Soil cover and organic fertilization effect on lettuce yeld

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is widely cultivated and consumed in several regions of Brazil. This study aimed to evaluate the productivity of lettuce in an urban garden in Três Passos - RS, considering the use of mulch and organic compost fertilization. A randomized block design was used, with a 2x2 factorial scheme, testing two types of mulch (with and without mulch) and two types of fertilization (with and without organic compost). The plots were cultivated with lettuce and analyzed for head diameter, green mass, and dry mass of the plants. The results showed that mulch had no significant effect on the average diameter of lettuce heads, green mass, or dry mass. However, organic fertilization had a positive impact, resulting in greater diameter, green mass, and dry mass of the plants. The interaction between mulch and organic fertilization also showed no significant additional effects on the variables analyzed. The study concluded that the application of organic fertilizer can improve lettuce productivity in urban systems, although soil cover with straw did not provide significant additional benefits, it provides cleaner and more sustainable production, especially considering the long term.