Comparative assessment of lettuce growth, yield, and phytochemical traits under soil and soilless culture systems

Soilless culture system, enhances efficiency and productivity. This study compared soil and soilless culture systems for lettuce growth, yield, nutrients, phytochemicals. It also evaluated different plant substrates. Two experiments were conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The first experiment compared three soil-based systems (chemical fertilizers alone, chemical fertilizers with vermicompost, and chemical fertilizers with tricho-compost) and a coco-dust substrate (50% Enshi-shoho solution). The second experiment assessed five substrates: coco-dust, brick-dust, fine sand, coarse sand, and gravel- using the same nutrient solution. Soilless culture increased lettuce yield by 60% compared with soil systems receiving only chemical fertilizer, but yields were statistically comparable to those in soil systems amended with chemical fertilizer plus vermicompost or tricho-compost, which increased yields by 54% and 58%, respectively. Similar trends were observed for biochemical and phytochemical composition, but mineral nutrient concentrations were consistently highest in soilless lettuce. Overall, soilless culture exhibited significant advantages in enhancing both yield and nutritional quality of lettuce, while substrates such as coco-dust, fine sand, and coarse sand proved particularly effective in optimizing system performance.