RESPONSE OF ROMAINE LETTUCE (LACTUCA SATIVA) VAR. TO DIFFERENCE CONCENTRATIONS AND TIME INTERVALS OF NUTRITION SPRAYING IN AEROPONIC CULTIVATION SYSTEM

• Main Author: Gusti Agung Bagus Krisnanda, I
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/51629
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Lettuce is a well-known vegetable and widely consumed by many Indonesians. The lettuce production in 2010 was 41.11 tons/year. However, its production had decreased to 39.289 tons/year in 2015. The decline in lettuce production was caused by a large number of conversion of agricultural land to residential and industrial areas. In 2014, the conversion of agricultural land in Java occurred annually covering an area of 27,000 hectares. Nationally, the conversion of agricultural land reaches 100,000 to 110,000 hectares per year. One solution to this problem is aeroponic cultivation. Aeroponics is a farming system in the air without the use of soil, the nutrients are sprayed on the plant roots in the form of a mist until it hits the plant roots. This study aimed at exploring the response of lettuce on the different concentrations and time intervals of nutrition spraying in the aeroponics system. Romaine lettuce crop cultivation with the aeroponics system in this study conducted in an enclosed area. Romaine lettuce seeds are sown until they are 14 days old. The nutrients provided to plants are AB mix nutrients in the form of mist. The light source for plant growth comes from TL lamps. Spraying of nutrients and lighting of plants is carried out automatically with the help of controller and timer. This research was carried out in several stages, namely making installations, manufacturing automation systems for spraying nutrition, seeding seeds, nutrient solutions, transplanting and harvesting. This study used a completely randomized design with 3 treatment combinations, namely a concentration of 3 mL/L and a 3-minute interval sprayed off, a concentration of 5 mL/L and a 5-minute interval sprayed off , and a concentration of 7 mL/L and a 7-minute interval sprayed off. Observation parameters measured in this study were the number of leaves, stem height, root length, shoot wet weight, and shoot dry weight. The results of the study show that romaine lettuce response to the 7 mL/L concentration and a 7-minute interval sprayed off that produces the highest number of leaves tend as many as 16.07 sheets. Meanwhile, the 3 mL/L concentration and 3 minutes interval sprayed off, resulting in the longest root with a length of 61.30 cm. Moreover, the 5 mL/L concentration and 5-minute interval sprayed off, resulting in the highest stems and the heaviest wet and dry shoot with consecutive values of 16.29 cm, 43.15 g, and 2.16 g.