Growth and Yield Response of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) Using MykoPlus and Bio-N Biofertilizers

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the growth and yield response of lettuce (Lactuca sativa), variety ‘Black Simpson’, using different amounts of MykoPlus and Bio-N biofertilizer. The experiment consisted of seven treatments: T1 (control), T2 (MykoPlus), T3 (Bio-N), T4 (50% MykoPlus and Bio-N), T5 (MykoPlus + ½ Recommended Rate or RR of synthetic fertilizer), T6 (Bio-N + ½ RR of synthetic fertilizer), and T7 (50% MykoPlus and Bio-N + ½ RR of synthetic fertilizer), arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) from July to September 2022. Results revealed that T3 (Bio-N), T5 (MykoPlus + ½ RR of synthetic fertilizer), and T6 (Bio-N + ½ RR of synthetic fertilizer) had the best initial plant height response; however, in the final plant height gathered, T3, T4, T6, and T7 gave the best response. In terms of the initial leaf length and leaf width, T5 and T6 had the best responses and were comparable to T3, T4, and T7. In the final leaf length and width of lettuce, T6 and T7 showed the best results and were comparable with T2, T3, T4, and T5. No significant difference was observed in the number of leaves. On the yield parameter, T7 (50% MykoPlus and Bio-N + ½ RR of synthetic fertilizer) provided the highest weight of lettuce at harvest, comparable with T2, T3, T4, T5, and T6. The most feasible biofertilizer combination suitable for lettuce production in terms of growth parameters was T6 and T7, whereas in the yield parameter, application of T7 was recommended.