Growth and yield response of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) planted floatingly to optimization of NPK compound fertilizer

Urban Farm DB summary

A study evaluating the effects of compound NPK fertilizer dosage and a floating planting system on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth, set in South Sumatra, Indonesia—a region with significant potential for floating agricultural systems amid urban agriculture expanding under population pressure and climate change. Using a Randomized Block Design with four fertilizer treatments (control P0, and P1-P3 at 1.12, 2.24, and 3.36 g NPK compound per polybag) each replicated three times across 12 units, the study assessed plant height, leaf number, fresh plant weight, fresh and dry root weight, root length, leaf greenness, leaf area, and canopy area via analysis of variance and DMRT at 5%. The 2.24 g/polybag dose (P2) produced the most favorable growth and yield, with the highest mean values across all parameters, though the calculated optimum dose was 2.05 g/polybag, which the study recommends for subsequent research.