Intercropping of lettuce-carrot and lettuce-radish under organic management

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out, in two consecutive years, at Seropédica, RJ, Brazil, aiming to evaluate the agronomic performance of intercropping of lettuce cvs. Regina 71 (smooth leaf) and Verônica (crisp leaf) with carrot (cv. Brasília) and radish (cv. Hybrid number 19), under organic management. The amount of nutrients exported from the system by harvesting was also evaluated. The experimental design used was of completely randomized blocks, with four replications. In the first experiment, treatments consisted of lettuce with crisp leaves intercropped with carrot, lettuce with crisp leaves intercropped with radish and sole crops. In the second experiment, lettuce with smooth leaves was used instead of lettuce with crisp leaves. Intercropping of carrot and lettuce, with crisp or smooth leaf, presented land equivalent ratios higher than 1.60. Intercropping of radish and lettuce, with crisp or smooth leaf, presented land equivalent ratios of 1.54 and 1.27, respectively. Besides, the amounts of nutrients extracted by harvested products were lower than the inputs, pointing out the viability of the tested intercroppings.