Standardization of Hydroponic Growth Medium NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) System For Increasing Productivity of Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa) Plant

Abstract

Lettuce is one of the most popular leaf vegetables with high economic value. NFT system hydroponics is a system of continuous water flow for 24 hours, and in hydroponics, the required growing medium needs to be of the best quality for plant growth. This study aims to increase the productivity of lettuce plants by standardizing the growth medium in hydroponics with the NFT system. This research was conducted using a completely randomized design (CRD) with one factor, namely growth medium, which consisted of 5 media: namely rockwool, cocopeat, husk charcoal, wood charcoal and hydroton. Parameters observed included plant height, leaf length, leaf width, number of leaves, leaf area, plant weight without roots, plant weight with roots, root weight, temperature in water, and ambient temperature. The results showed that cocopeat is the best alternative growth medium to replace rockwool media because it has the same advantages as rockwool media. Cocopeat media is very good in increasing the productivity of lettuce plants with the NFT hydroponic planting system, because the growth of lettuce plants from one week to six weeks after planting showed very significant Plants in cocopeat medium average 31.50 cm in height, while those in rockwool medium average 32.53 cm. In rockwool, leaves measure 14.22 cm in length, while in cocopeat, they measure 14.25 cm. In cocopeat, leaves measure 13.18 cm in breadth, while in rockwool, they measure 13.24 cm. There are eighteen leaves in rockwool and sixteen in cocopeat. The leaf area is 188.1 cm² in cocopeat and 188.7 cm² in rockwool. With no rockwool roots, the fresh weight is 110.33 g, and with cocopeat, it is 77.78 g. With cocopeat, the fresh weight is 88.86 g and with rockwool roots, it is 119.22 g. Cocopeat weighs 11.41 g and rockwool roots weigh 13.80 g.