Influência do Composto Orgânico e da Cama de Frango nas Características Agronômicas da Rúcula (Eruca sativa) e da Alface Crespa (Lactuca sativa)

Abstract

Organic fertilization has proven to be a sustainable alternative in vegetable production. This study evaluated the agronomic performance of arugula and crisp lettuce in response to different sources and application methods of organic fertilizers. The experiment was carried out in the field, in Teresina-PI, using six treatments: compost incorporated into the soil, compost on the soil surface, both with and without effective microorganisms, chicken litter, and control. The design was randomized blocks with four replications. Plant height, plant diameter, fresh mass, and dry mass were evaluated. For arugula, chicken litter and incorporated compost promoted greater height and biomass production. For lettuce, compost incorporated with effective microorganisms showed the best results in growth and fresh mass accumulation. The control showed the lowest performance for all variables. It is concluded that organic fertilization, especially compost with effective microorganisms and chicken litter, significantly improves the growth and productivity of leafy vegetables.