Use of mulching in cultivation of lettuce ‘Babá de Verão’ in Cassilândia (State of Mato Grosso of the Sul - Brazil)

Abstract

This work had the objective to verify the effects of different mulching on lettuce cv. Babá de Verão. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with four treatments soil without cover, soil covered with dry straw (Brachiaria brizantha L.), soil covered with white plastic and soil covered with black plastic; being used four repetitions. They were appraised: weigh total for plant and commercial, commercial productivity, number of leaves of the commercial  part, length of the stem, mass evaporates of the commercial part. The covering of the soil should be used, with plastic or straw, in the production of the lettuce “Babá de Verão” in the conditions of Cassilândia (State of Mato Grosso do Sul - Brazil); the black plastic provided larger absolute values for all the studied characteristics.