Influence of foliar spray with calcium chloride on growth, yield and quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)‎

Abstract EN

In the present investigation, we study the effect of calcium chloride (0, 10, 20 mM) as foliar spray on morphological, yield, and quality of lettuce plants (Romaine and green waves cultivars) during 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 seasons.

Our results indicated that, foliar application of calcium chloride either at 10 or 20mM significantly increased vegetative growth parameters i.

e.

, leaf number plant-1, fresh weight and dry weight of leaves.

Also, foliar application of calcium chloride resulted to a significant increase in yield and quality parameters i.

e.

, TSS, chlorophyll content and vitamin C.

'Romaine' cultivar significantly superior to 'Green waves' cultivar in plant height, fresh and dry weights of the leaves, TSS and chlorophyll content.

However, there was no significant difference in vitamin C content between the two tested cultivars.

'Green waves' cv.

Sprayed with 20 mM calcium chloride (CaCl2) treatment gave the highest significant leaf number per plant.

Fresh and dry weights of leaves of 'Romaine' cv.

were the highest when plants sprayed with20 mM calcium chloride in both seasons.

However, in season 1, 'Romaine' cv.

Plants sprayed with 20mM of calcium chloride produced the highest total yield, while the highest total yield in season 2 was obtained from plants of both two tested cultivars sprayed with20mM of calcium chloride.

'Romaine' cultivar treated with 20 mM of calcium chloride as foliar application had the highest TSS and chlorophyll content.

Applying calcium chloride as foliar application at 20mM was the most effective in improving yield quantity and quality in both 'Romaine' and 'Green waves' cultivars.