Boosting and attaining high yield of lettuce using coffee grounds as organic foliar fertilizer under nursery management
Paper Details
Boosting and attaining high yield of lettuce using coffee grounds as organic foliar fertilizer under nursery management
Abstract
Coffee consumption worldwide generates large amounts of spent coffee grounds (SCG), which are often discarded despite their nutrient content. It contains nitrogen (2.28%), phosphorus (0.06%), and potassium (0.6%), making them a potential organic fertilizer source. The study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of coffee ground (CG) as foliar fertilizer in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) production under nursery management. Specifically, it aimed to determine the effects of different coffee ground concentrations on growth parameters, yield per hectare, and Return On Investment (ROI). The experiment was carried out from February to March, 2024 at the CSU Lal-lo Nursery using Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with six treatments and three replications: T1 – Department of Agriculture Package of Technology; T2– 11.34 g CG per 3 L water; T3 – 25.44 g; T4 – 39.0 g; T5– 50.88 g; and T6 – commercial foliar fertilizer. Growth parameters measured included plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, root length, stem diameter, and fresh weight at harvest. Results revealed that CG application significantly influenced lettuce growth and development. T3 (25.44 g) produced the tallest plants and longest leaves, while T2 (11.34 g) achieved the highest leaf area, root length, stem diameter, and overall yield. Importantly, T2 also delivered the greatest economic return, with an ROI of 1680.06%. The findings suggest that low concentrations of CG are most effective for enhancing lettuce growth and profitability. CG thus represents a sustainable alternative to commercial fertilizers. Further studies are recommended to validate these results across different environments and cropping systems.
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