Silício na produção e na qualidade pós-colheita da alface hidropônica

Abstract

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a vegetable of great economic importance due to its nutritional and organoleptic characteristics, since among the leafy vegetables is the most consumed. However, its high perishability accumulates expressive losses along its productive process. It is estimated that the losses along the productive chain of vegetables in Brazil are around 35 to 40%. Silicate fertilization has been discussed for some years as an important contributor to the increase in the quality and postharvest of vegetables. Based on the above, the present study had the objective of evaluating the effects of silicon on the production and the post-harvest quality of the lettuce grown in a hydroponic system. The experiment was carried out in a protected environment located in the Horta Didática of the Federal University of Ceará, in Fortaleza (CE), arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD), with four replicates and five treatments, consisting of different doses of silicon (Si) (0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 mM). The plants were harvested at 40 days after sowing (DAS) and evaluated for root and shoot length parameters, fresh and dry masses of root and shoot, number of leaves and leaf area, vitamin C content, pH, titratable acidity (TA), soluble solids (SS) and SS / TA ratio from the treatments. For shoot length, root length, leaf area, dry mass of shoot and root, as well as for vitamin C, a negative effect was observed regarding the Si doses tested in relation to the control treatment. In general, it was verified that the addition of small doses of silicon, in the hydroponic system of lettuce, provided benefits about post-harvest quality and crop's fresh biomass production.