The Mulching use in Lettuce cultivation: a Review Literature

Abstract

Lettuce is a leafy species that has important nutritional characteristics, which promote high acceptability by consumers, being grown in several countries in the world, in different agroecosystems. Among the soil management practices, Mulching, synthetic and organic, appears as an alternative, as they can promote improvements in soil properties and plant development, however, a practice little explored by farmers. For this reason, this literature review aims to explore the effects of Mulching on soil temperature, humidity and microorganisms, as well as on weeds, and their limitations. Scientific articles were searched in the Capes, Scielo, Google Scholar and Scopus databases, in which was evidenced the effect of dark Mulching (synthetic and organic) on soil temperature, with reflexes in the increase of the heating, in the humidity, in the activity microbial and lettuce productivity. Act to reduce the incidence of weeds and to pathogenic organisms. Limitations are the difficulty in acquiring synthetic Mulching, its thickness, which facilitates damage, and its disposal post use. In the organic, difficulty in acquisition, ease in mineralization and associated labor in handling, factors that increase production costs. It should be noted, therefore, that the practice of Mulching can be promising. However, there is a need for research, mainly in tropical and semiarid regions, aiming at the dissemination of this technology in rural areas.