EFFECT OF SALT INDUSTRIES BYPRODUCT AS A LIQUID FERTILIZER ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF LETTUCE IN SOILLESS CULTURE

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Central Laboratory in Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka; during September 2014 to March 2015 to identify the effect of salt industries byproduct on growth and yield of lettuce in soilless culture. Three nutrient solutions were considered as treatments, viz. T – ½ Rahman and Inden (2012) + 0 ml of salt industries byproduct (SIB), T 2 1 – ½ Rahman and Inden (2012) + 0.5 ml of SIB, T – ½ Rahman and Inden (2012) + 0.75 ml of SIB. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD). Salt industries byproduct showed significant variation in most of the parameters. The highest plant height (19.53 cm) was recorded from T 1 3 while the lowest plant height (15.61 cm) was found in T 3 . Number of leaves per plant was maximum (10.61) from T whereas minimum (8.80) was recorded T 3 . Higher leaf breadth (11.36 cm) was recorded from T 1 which was statistically similar to T 2 and lower (9.56 cm) was from T , higher leaf length (17.61 cm) was found in T 1 and lower (13.90 cm) was in T 3. 3 Maximum fresh weight of lettuce (48.81g/plant) was recorded from T 1 which was statistically similar to T and minimum (27.94 g/plant) was in T 1 2 . In case of ascorbic acid content, the maximum amount of ascorbic acid content (157.61 mg/100g fresh weight) was recorded from T and the minimum (127.41 mg/100g fresh weight of lettuce) was in T 1 3 . In case of β-carotene content, the maximum amount of β-carotene content (3207 µg/100g fresh weight of lettuce) was recorded from T and the minimum (3100 µg/100g fresh weight) was in T 1. 3 Similar trend was also found in other growth analytical parameters (viz. leaf area, leaf area ratio, leaf mass ratio, root weight ratio, net assimilation ratio and relative growth rate), which was the best from T but LA, RGR and NAR were statistically similar to that of T 2 1 . Meanwhile all the physiological parameters were lowest in T (½ Rahman and Inden (2012) + 0.5 ml of SIB) can be used to get higher amount of ascorbic acid and β-carotene content with moderate yield