Nutritional quality of lettuce cultivars as affected by organic and conventional fertilization

R Md. Shyduzzaman; C Sushan; A Nazma; A Subrina; K Emrul; S A Mohammad

doi:10.14719/tcb.9465

Authors

Md. Shyduzzaman Roni Department of Horticulture, Gazipur Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7388-5511
Sushan Chowhan Adaptive Research and Extension Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Sub-station Magura, Magura 7600, Bangladesh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6168-2402
Nazma Akter Uttar Durgapur Govt. Primary School, Motlab Uttar, Chandpur 3643, Bangladesh https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4304-4105
Subrina Akther Department of Horticulture, Gazipur Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6999-6237
Emrul Kayesh Department of Horticulture, Gazipur Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4971-0113
Mohammad Saiful Alam Department of Soil Science, Gazipur Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8213-9342

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14719/tcb.9465

Keywords:

ascorbic acid, β-carotene, conventional fertilizer, lettuce, minerals, organic fertilizer

Abstract

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is widely consumed as a fresh salad vegetable and valued for its nutritional quality; however, increasing concern over excessive chemical fertilizer use has intensified interest in organic production systems. Comparative information on how organic and conventional fertilization influence lettuce quality, particularly across different cultivars under Bangladeshi conditions, remains limited. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of organic and conventional fertilization on the quality attributes of three lettuce cultivars (Green Wave, Grand Rapid and Iceberg). A randomized complete block design with three replications was used for the experiment. Quality parameters including water and dry matter content, chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, ?-carotene, iron, calcium and magnesium were analyzed. Regardless of cultivar, the highest dry matter content (7.46 %) was observed in plants receiving organic fertilization. In contrast, conventional fertilization resulted in the highest water content (92.95 %), chlorophyll a and b, ascorbic acid (26 mg/100 g), ?-carotene, iron (106.48 ppm) and calcium. Among cultivars, ‘Green Wave’ exhibited the highest chlorophyll and magnesium contents, while ‘Grand Rapid’ showed the highest water content and iron accumulation (105.63 ppm). ‘Iceberg’ performed best in dry matter content, ascorbic acid (21.9 mg/100 g), ?-carotene (470 IU/100 g) and calcium. Notably, the combination of ‘Iceberg’ with organic fertilization produced superior results in dry matter, ascorbic acid and magnesium contents. The findings suggest that appropriate integration of fertilization method and cultivar selection can enhance lettuce quality while supporting sustainable production systems.

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Nutritional quality of lettuce cultivars as affected by organic and conventional fertilization

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