Effect of Pereskia aculeata Miller biomass as a biofertilizer in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Abstract

The native species Barbados gooseberry (Pereskia aculeata Miller) is an unconventional food source of protein and nutrients. The objective of this work was to verify the efficiency of the use of P. aculeata biomass as a nutritional source in lettuce. Two production cycles were conducted in the greenhouse and in pots. The treatments were based on mineral fertilization; fertilization with P. aculeata biomass and mineral fertilization in combination with P. aculeata; and a control without fertilization. Randomized block design was used with 5 replications of 4 plants per treatment. Data on fresh and dry mass of the aerial part and roots, length of the last leaf and of the roots, and chlorophyll index were obtained. In the first cycle only the combination of 2/3 mineral fertilizer + 1/3 of P. aculeata biomass provided gains in root length compared to using the full dose mineral fertilizer. In the second cycle, however, the aerial part of the plants and the chlorophyll index increased when receiving the treatments when compared to the control. The number of leaves and the chlorophyll a content were higher in the treatments with P. aculeata enrichment. Leaf fresh mass increased with the use of mineral fertilizer and in the treatment 2/3 mineral fertilizer + 1/3 of P. aculeata biomass. The use of fresh biomass of P. aculeata as organic fertilizer helped in the gain of parameters of the aerial part in the second productive cycle of lettuce showing potential for new studies as biofertilizer.