Crecimiento y consumo de nutrientes de lechuga y rúcula en sistema hidropónico NFT

The hydroponic production system has established itself as a technology of recognized efficiency and widely implemented in developed countries. In South America, the main crop corresponds to lettuce with 49% of the surface of hydroponic crops. In Uruguay, hydroponic production has aroused interest in recent years, with the emergence of various ventures, but there is no systematized information about them. The objective of this thesis was to analyze a commercial NFT hydroponic production system in the south of Uruguay, evaluating two cultivation cycles of Salanova green butter lettuce (Erasmus) and arugula (Astro), emphasizing the evaluation of growth, yield and in the quantification of the consumption of nitrogen, potassium, calcium and sodium of lettuce and arugula, with a cultivation management and particular nutrient solution of a real production situation. The work revealed that the concentrations of nitrate and potassium in the nutrient solution were well below the values ​​sought and recommended by the literature. Regarding sodium, a high concentration was found in the irrigation water, which increased with the daily refills of the nutrient solution made to the system. The average pH was higher than recommended and sought in both cycles and crops. It is confirmed that conductivity is not a monitoring tool for the nutrient solution if it is used as the only parameter. It is recommended to implement a systematic monitoring system of key parameters that allow timely identification of problems and design proposals for improvement in crop management. The application of strategies to improve the characteristics of the water used for the nutritive solution (rainwater, well, filtration) can result in an increase in yields and in prolonging the terms of the renovation of the nutritive solution with savings of water, fertilizers, labor and environmental benefits. This work provides the first national data on production, management and nutrient consumption of hydroponic lettuce and arugula obtained from a real production situation in Uruguay. It also provides a methodology for diagnosing and detecting problems in a hydroponic system, constituting a tool applicable to other soilless cultivation systems.