Agriculture Business Week

Here’s an easy do-it-yourself guide to managing your own garden of high-value fruits and vegetables.

Lettuce is one of the long standing high-value crops in the Cordillera. This vegetable is appropriate for the said location because of the location’s cold climate. Currently, an approximate of 407 hectares of Cordillera land is used for growing lettuce.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an economically-important member of the compositae family. This is a cool weather vegetable and grows in the ideal temperature of 60 to 70 Fahrenheit. Lettuce has five varieties including leaf or loose-leaf, Cos or romaine, crisphead, butterhead, and stem or asparagus lettuce.

Leaf lettuce is characterized by crisp leaves loosely arranged on the stalk. Leaf lettuce type includes Salad Bowl, Early Curked Simpson, and Slobolt.

Cos or romaine lettuce is characterized by its erect and lengthened head. This variety is often used in salads and sandwiches. White Paris Cos and Paris Island Cos belong to the Cos or romaine variety.

Butterhead lettuce is characterized by its small and loose-head form. This variety has tender and soft leaves with a delicate sweet flavor. The White Boston lettuce is of the butterhead variety.

Stem or asparagus lettuce is characterized by its enlarged seedstalk form. This variety is often used in stewed, creamed and Chinese dishes. The Celtus is a kind of asparagus or stem lettuce.

The Crisphead variety include the iceberg types. This variety requires most care as it is extremely sensitive to heat. Crisphead lettuce includes the Great lakes, Oswego and Calmar.

All lettuce varieties are considered cool-season vegetables. This vegetable gives higher yield when the temperature is maintained no higher than fifteen to twenty degrees Celsius. Lettuce may grow on different kinds of soil. However, to achieve best results, it is recommended that lettuce be grown on sandy loam soil and clay loam soil.

Growing and handling
There are two ways to plant lettuce. The first is direct seeding, and the second is by adapting the transplanting method. In direct seeding, the seed is directly plated in the soil. Direct seeding is often used for large scale operations.

In transplanting method, the seed is first planted and grown on a seed bed or seed container before it is moved to a larger farming area. Transplanting method is often used in small scale enterprises like home gardens.

To prepare the fertilizer, a handful of compost must be mixed with a tablespoon of complete fertilizer. A hectare of land would require approximately 500 kilos of fertilizer. Place this fertilizer in openings in the land area intended for planting. Cover the fertilizer with soil before planting. It is important to remember that crops should not be planted too near the fertilizer as this can damage the crops.

Direct seeding may be done by planting seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, using ten seeds per foot. A land hectare will approximately require 400 grams of seeds. Seeds may be planted in rows twelve to eighteen inches apart. Planted seeds should be covered with fine soil to ensure their germination process. Immediately water the seeds after planting. Seedlings should be thinned to ensure better growth. Leaf lettuce should be thinned to four inches apart and Butterheads and Cos should be trimmed six to eight inches apart. Crisphead seedlings must be trimmed or transplanted ten to twelve inches apart in the row.

Transplanting method may be done by using a seedbed of 50 to 75cm wide, marked at every 6 cm. Spread the seeds on the seedbed and cover with soil. Ensure that the seedbed is regularly watered until the seedlings emerge. This will take approximately seven days after planting the seeds. Once the seedlings appear, the watering routine may be lessened. The seedlings may be transplanted after three weeks or when they have reached the height of 5cm to 8cm. Ensure that some soil still attach to the roots to protect the roots of the crop. Each transplanted lettuce should be given a space of 25 x 30cm. Immediately water the seedlings after transplanting them. Regularly water the growing seedlings.

Lettuce has shallow roots. As such, lettuce should be hoed and cultivated carefully.  To ensure rapid development and high-quality lettuce, frequent light watering may be done. However, over watering, especially in heavy soils, may result in disease, soft growth, and scalding or burning of the leaf margins. It is also important to use fertilizer on the soil to ensure that the vegetable is given the nutrients it needs. In less ideal weather conditions, organic mulches may be used to help moderate the soil temperature.

Pest control
The most common pest in lettuce beds are aphids. Aphids are found on the underside of the leaves. Aphids may be yellow, green, black, brown, red or pinkish. They are pear shaped-insects and may or may not have wings. Aphids may be recognized by their size, ranging from 1/16 to 1/8 inch long, slender antennae and two tubes near their abdomen. These insects are drawn to succulent new growth, and draw great quantities of sap, thus causing the leaves and stems to become distorted. These insects are capable of transmitting plant pathogens and with its rapid population growth, several generations may occur. Thus its control is imperative.

A non-chemical method to control aphids is through washing them with a steady stream of water. Heavy applications of nitrogen fertilizer should also be avoided as this can encourage succulent plant growth. Lady beetles and aphis lions are natural predators that feed on aphids but these may not always ensure adequate control.

Chemical methods of control may be used upon consultation with the local government agricultural expert. Insecticides like Sevin or Malathion are not too harsh and may be used for control. It is important to follow the chemical’s recommended instructions as these chemicals may be harmful to the plant and to the people who will consume the vegetable. Insecticides should not be used on plants intended to be harvested in two weeks. Insecticides should also not be sprayed against the wind so they do not spray toward-the person administering them. Proper garments for handling such chemicals must be used.

Common diseases
There are four diseases that commonly afflict lettuce beds. These diseases should be handled properly to ensure maximum yield.

Bottom Rot. This disease originates from a type of fungus called Rhizoctonia solani. This disease attacks the young leaves while it is still close to the ground. This disease causes plants to have reddish-brown lesions on the lettuce stems or the bottom of the head. When not managed or controlled, this disease can cause the leaf blades to rot until the whole head becomes dark and dry.

to be continued…