Hidroponic system cultivation of escarole, endive and chicory in different concentrations of nutritive solution

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the escarole and chicory agricultural development under different concentrations of nutritive solution proposed by Furlani et al. (1999), in hydroponic system. The experiments design were completely randomized on split-splot scheme, with 03 repetitions being the parcels the concentration of nutritive solution (125; 100; 75 and 50%) and in the subparcel the plants positions on hydroponic profile (I-initial position, II-medium position, III-final position) considering each position as a group of 5 plants. The evaluated variables were height and diameter of plants, number of leaves and weight of fresh and dry matter from roots and shoots. There was, to the escarole, significant interaction to the number of leaves on the 125% concentration with a higher number of plants for medium and final positions. With relation to the chicory, the initial position of hydroponic profile, plants showed the best results with respect to plants development.  With relation to the escarole there was not observed influence of the positions of the plants for plants development. To conclude, the cultivation of escarole, endive and chicory should be done using the nutritive solution proposed by Furlani et al. (1999) in the less diluted concentration (50%).