Effects of Organic Nutrient Solutions and Dissolved Oxygen Management on the Growth Performance of Hydroponic Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. Green Rapid)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68050/JAMS.2026.397Keywords:
Lettuce, Hydroponics, Aeration, Organic Nutrients, SNAP, Growth PerformanceAbstract
This study evaluated the growth performance of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. Green Rapid) as influenced by different organic nutrient solutions under aerated and non-aerated hydroponic systems. The experiment was conducted from October 24 to December 4, 2025 at the Greenhouse Experimental Area of Cebu Technological University–Barili Campus using a 2 × 7 factorial in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Treatments consisted of two aeration conditions (aerated and non-aerated) and seven nutrient solutions: pure water, probiotics, Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO), Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ), Vermitea, Fish Amino Acid (FAA), and SNAP solution. Results revealed that aeration significantly improved plant height, leaf number, and biomass at later growth stages. SNAP solution consistently produced the highest growth performance across all parameters, significantly outperforming organic nutrient solutions. Moreover, significant interaction effects indicated that the combination of aeration and SNAP solution enhanced lettuce growth, particularly in plant height, leaf production, and shoot biomass. However, root-to-shoot ratios showed no significant differences among treatments, suggesting limited influence of treatments on biomass partitioning. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that oxygen availability and nutrient completeness are critical factors in hydroponic lettuce production. While organic nutrient solutions showed moderate performance, they were less effective compared to SNAP solution, particularly under non-aerated conditions.
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