Assessing sensory attributes and quality of lettuce from open field, greenhouse, and controlled environment production systems

Abstract

Lettuce is a popular, low-calorie, nutrient-rich leafy vegetable known for its health benefits and bioactive compounds. The transition from open-field to controlled-environment agriculture has revolutionized lettuce production, enabled year-round cultivation while provided advantages such as enhanced environmental management, diminished pest challenges, and improved crop quality. This study assessed the consumers’ perception of quality attributes of Eden lettuce from three production systems: open field, greenhouse, and controlled environment. Sensory evaluation encompassed the assessment of attributes such as colour, flavour, texture, and nutrition, with panellists evaluating lettuce samples from each production system, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to analyse the data. Controlled environment cultivation showed the highest texture intensity, with significant variations in sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and astringency among production systems. Aroma and aftertaste remained relatively consistent across different systems. Acceptability levels of sensory attributes varied among lettuce samples from different production systems. Controlled environment lettuce received the highest acceptability ratings for texture, flavour, and colour, while notable variations were observed in colour acceptability among production systems. Taste attributes varied among production systems, with open field lettuce displaying diverse taste profiles, greenhouse lettuce leaning towards bitterness, and controlled environment lettuce emphasizing sweetness. Texture attributes also differed, with open field exhibiting balanced profiles, greenhouse yielding firmer textures, and controlled environments emphasizing moderate firmness. In conclusion, the choice of production system has a substantial impact on lettuce quality and sensory attributes. Controlled environment cultivation consistently yielded lettuce with superior attributes, while greenhouse cultivation led to firmer textures and specific taste profiles. On the other hand, open field cultivation exhibited a broader range of taste attributes. These findings provide valuable insights for agricultural practices, resource management, and quality control in lettuce cultivation, offering opportunities for growers and consumers to make informed choices based on their preferences and requirements.