EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SOURCES OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH, YIELD AND STORABILITY OF LETTUCE PLANTS

Abstract

This investigation was carried out during two winter seasons of 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 at the Agricultural Research Farm, El-Kassasien Hort. Res. Station, Ismalia Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of different sources of organic fertilizers, i.e. chicken manure, farmyard manure (FYM), compost manure and the mixture of them as compared to mineral fertilizer on vegetative growth, fresh and dry weight per plant, root system, yield and its components of cv. Balady (Local lettuce cultivar) grown under sandy soil conditions.It aimed also to study the effect of the abovementioned treatments on storability of lettuce plants during storage at 0oC and 90-95% RH. Fertilization of lettuce plants with chicken manure at 7.5 m3/fed. or with the mixture of chicken at 2.5 m3plus FYM at 5 m3plus compost manure at 3.7 m3/fed. significantly increased vegetative growth, fresh and dry weight of different organs per plant, root system per plant and water content as well as yield and it's components, while decreased nitrate content without significant differences between them in most cases.Using organic manure the mixture of chicken manure at 2.5 m3plus farmyard manure at 5 m3plus compost manure at 3.7 m3/fed. or chicken manure improve storability of lettuce plants by reducing weight loss and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, maintained chlorophyll and total phenolic contents during storage and gave plants with good appearance after 12 days of storage for chicken manure and after 16 days for mixture treatment.