Lettuce Production

Introduction

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant of the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is most often grown for its succulent leaves, which can be consumed raw, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. 

Lettuce was originally farmed by the ancient Egyptians, who transformed it from a plant whose seeds were used to create oil into an important food crop raised for its succulent leaves and oil-rich seeds. 

Lettuce spread to the Greeks and Romans; the latter gave it the name lactuca, from which the English lettuce is derived. By 50 AD, many types were described, and lettuce appeared often in medieval writings, including several herbals. 

Generally grown as a hardy annual, lettuce is easily cultivated, although it requires relatively low temperatures to prevent it from flowering quickly. It can be plagued by numerous nutrient deficiencies, as well as insect, mammal pests, fungal and bacterial diseases.  

In Nigeria, Lettuce farming was mainly  practiced in Plateau State, due to their favourable weather and land. But in recent years, that narrative has changed, lettuce is now grown in almost all the 36 states of the country including the federal capital FCT. This is due to improved seeds, and some agronomic practices that must be strictly adhered to. Commonly, lettuce is also grown hydroponically.

Importance of Lettuce 

Lettuce is a popular vegetable used in the preparation of salad.It is eaten all over the world, most continental dishes are made up of lettuce. People also use it in decorating food. It is crispy and has green or red crimson leaves, contains essential nutrients which are beneficial to man.

 Lettuce is a rich source of vitamin K and vitamin A, and a moderate source of folate and iron. 

Contaminated lettuce is often a source of bacterial, viral, and parasitic outbreaks in humans, including E. coli and Salmonella. 

Lettuce has a relatively short life cycle, it is fully self-fertile with a high rate of natural self-pollination, it is possible to carry out a large number of crosses on one plant, and individual plants require only a moderate amount of space.

The importance of lettuce as a crop,has resulted in many breeding programs. These, in turn, have provided much of the information on the genetics of lettuce. The objectives of present-day breeding programs for lettuce are divided into three main areas: 

1. Resistance to diseases and pests, 
2. Increased yield and uniformity, and
3. Improvement in horticultural characteristics such as quality and resistance to early bolting.

Lettuce overall benefits and usefulness has spurred its demand in Nigeria, especially for health conscious people. 

CULTIVATION AND SUITABLE FARM PRACTICES FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIA

Lettuce grows on a very much cleared, ploughed, drained and rich Sandy topsoil or sandy loamy soil. If the farmland is not rich, organic matter can be added to increase fertility. It does not grow well in a waterlogged area and erosion must be controlled. The best soil pH is 5.5 – 6.5. 

Lettuce can be planted in Nursery before transplanting, or it can be planted through good agronomic practices on the bed from the scratch till it’s harvest time.

Land Preparation

Clear the land and level the ground, apply organic manure while preparing the land. Raise a nursery bed of 1m in length and about 10-15 cm high. The plant should be 3-4 cm in-depth. This will help the small seeds to grow uniformly and very fast.

Planting

Planting can be done in two ways; by the use of seed or through stem. The cutting will in turn help the standing lettuce to grow very fast and also help in the development of the shoot.

 Spread the seeds in a row, the seeds are so tiny as such there might not be a uniform planting. Thinning has to be done after growth, thinning should be 2-3 inches apart then thin again when half-grown.

Plant under shades, although every plant needs the sun to do well, for lettuce it should be reduced because they easily burn-out. The reason being that they have shallow roots and have to stay in a moist soil to survive.

Lettuce seeds emerge in 7 to 10 days. Seeds should be planted 3-4cm deep and thinned when plants have 3 to 4 true leaves. 

A hectare of lettuce will require 2-4 kg of seeds for planting. The plants can also be inter-cropped which can also serve as shades are; eggplant, pepper, tomatoes etc.

Transplanting 

Transplant should be done when plants are big enough to be handled. Be very careful in handling them in order not to disturb their roots and also to avoid shock.

Transplants should have 3-4 true leaves and a well-developed root system before planting out.

Transfer the seedlings between 3-4 weeks. Make sure soil is treated with insecticides 2 weeks before planting to avoid insect infestations which will stand as a hindrance to their growth.  Give a spacing of either 45 by 30cm or 30 by 30cm.

Irrigation

Though lettuce requires little water, irrigation system availability would be a good initiative towards making this plant available throughout a year and beyond; for continuous cultivation during the dry season. However, waterlogging is prohibited. The soil must be drained. Drip Irrigation can be used for water and nutrients application. During nursery and while on the bed, watering should be done in a 3-5 days interval.

Fertilizer Application

It is important to apply manure or fertilizer on time due to its short growth cycle. Potassium and phosphorus-rich manure or fertilizer can be added between 6-8weeks. 

Climatic Requirement

The ideal temperature for lettuce farming ranges between (20-22˚C). It thrives very well in a cool environment.

Weeding

For optimal growth and yield, weeding should be carried out at least twice before harvest.

LETTUCE VARIETIES

There are many varieties of lettuce, some have; big round leaves, small leaves, light green, dark red, narrow leaves, freckled wide etc. Some common varieties are:

1. Oakleaf (Darwin lettuce) variety. They are resistant to heat and good for commercial purpose.
   

    

2. Crisphead lettuce variety:  They have a few loose leaves with densely compacted heads.
   

    

3. Butterhead (buttercrunch) variety: They have loose heads, very tender flavoured leaves.
   

    

4. Romaine (cos) lettuce variety: Their leaves are of different shapes which are loosely arranged around the stem.
   

    

5. Stem lettuce variety:They have elongated bitter leaves and are mostly preferred by the Chinese. Also called celtuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce, or Chinese lettuce, is a cultivar of lettuce grown primarily for its thick stem or its leaves.
   

    

PEST/DISEASES

Lettuce are particularly favoured by insects, so before production starts, there should be provision for insecticides ( organic or inorganic) depending on your choice. The plant can be attacked by so many pests and diseases and their diseases range from serious ones such as downy mildew to minor diseases such as bottom rot.

1. Downy Mildew
   

   

   Downy mildew appearance on lettuce leaf Source:blogs.cornell.edu

   Downy mildew is a fungus that can affect up to 80% of farmland. Mature leaves are often most affected by this disease. Lettuce develops a yellow area on the upper side of the leaves and a white or gray fluff on the underside.
   

2. Leaf Spot

    

   

   This disease comes from weeds and typically affects less than 5% of farmland. Because of our warm weather, leaf spot is common a during the rainy season.
   

3. Lettuce Mosaic Virus

    

   
   
   Wrapper leaves affected by lettuce mosaic virus may appear dull, are folded backward, and may have more marginal serration. Romaine lettuce leaves typically show the same symptoms in addition to leaf blistering. Butterhead lettuce experiences stunting and severe chlorosis.
   

4. Bottom Rot
   
   

    

   Bottom rot generally affects iceberg, Boston, and Bibb varieties of lettuce and can be observed during warm weather. Although loss from this disease is typically less than 5% of farmland, it can affect up to 100% in rare cases. Lettuce suffering from bottom rot usually loses a couple of wrapper leaves.

    

5. Lettuce Drop

   

   Drop generally affects between 1-2% of farmland yearly, but in general it only becomes an issue when the land is unable to be flooded in the hot season. The disease first attacks older leaves, which experience a progressive wilt, and then younger and outer leaves collapse around the plant.
   
   

6. Bacterial Diseases 
   These diseases include bacterial corky root rot, bacterial soft rot, and a number of diseases that can affect roots, leaves, and even the entire plant.

Disease Management

Fungicide is primarily used to manage downy mildew and is applied every 7-10 days.Copper (hydroxide or sulfate) are used to manage downy mildew, as well as bacterial diseases. Growers can also use sulfur to control several lettuce diseases.

There are also many organic sprays that can be used to treat these diseases.

Common Pests of Lettuce

• Aphids.
• Armyworms.
• Corn earworms.
• Crickets.
• Flea beetles.
• Grasshoppers,etc.

Using the right pesticides at the right dosage helps get rid of these pests. Only apply when these pests invade your farm.

 

HARVESTING

Lettuce takes about 6-8 weeks to mature or 5-6 weeks after transplanting, depending on the variety. You have to harvest them quickly to avoid bolting (a situation where it doesn’t make leaves but seeds). Late harvesting can also make them bitter.

Cut lettuce plant an inch above the soil surface or remove the outer leaves leaving behind the centre leaves to continue growth. Another way is by uprooting or digging up the whole lettuce crop.

Cutting would make new shoots develop on the initial plant, sprouting new leaves faster which can be harvested continually. The stem too can be planted on a new bed where it can be harvested within 5-7 weeks.

Hot temperatures usually make lettuce greens taste bitter and strong. Keep lettuce in temperatures between 45 and 70 ºF (7 to 21 ºC) but ideally in the 60’s to keep the bitterness at bay. (Some varieties are more tolerant of heat than others.)

Handling lettuce

Gentle harvests and cold, consistent temperatures extend shelf life. Harvesting techniques can also affect shelf life if the lettuce is handled roughly, bruised or crushed during the process. This makes the produce much more vulnerable to postharvest decay and diseases, as well as impacting the scalability of the produce.

PROCESSING

Lettuce requires humidity to keep from drying out, but condensation or heavy moisture on the leaves is detrimental. The best thing that producers can do to avoid condensation is to keep temperatures very consistent.

Different producers may process their lettuce, depending on the market. As a general rule, producers shouldn’t do any more to their lettuce (washing, cutting, etc.) than they have to. The only absolutely necessary tasks are removing the produce from the growing space (keep the plant together as much as possible) and trimming leaves that are dried out, diseased, or which affect the aesthetics of the crop. If possible, don’t wash the lettuce before delivery—leave that to the user to do before food preparation.

Some growers prefer to use a cold water dunk to extend shelf life—there is some debate between different growers and plant pathologists as to whether this helps by closing stomata, or decreases shelf life by spreading the diseases that are already present.

USES AND BY-PRODUCTS

Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of food, such as soups, sandwiches and wraps; it can also be grilled. One variety, the woju or asparagus lettuce (Celtuce), is grown for its stems, which are eaten either raw or cooked. In addition to its main use as a leafy green, it has also gathered religious and medicinal significance over centuries of human consumption. 

The head of lettuce could be used in a smoothie. The fruits should be blended first and then only the lettuce leaves should be added to the smoothie. The smoothie could be made with the fruits such as strawberries, bananas and mangoes with the head of romaine lettuce.

BY-PRODUCTS

Studies show that lettuce contains antioxidants that scavenge free radicals. Antioxidants have various biochemicals that could be found in diet and is essential for human health. An antioxidant obstructs free radicals that are produced during cellular metabolism. Free radicals could attack healthy cells, tissues and DNA inside it. It could also mutate healthy cells into cancerous cells which could develop various diseases. Antioxidants counteract these free radicals and neutralizes it before attacks of free radicals exists.

REASON TO GROW LETTUCE

1. Lettuce grows early and often
2. Can be harvested in a short period of time
3. Has so many health benefits
4. There are readily available markets for it
5. Offers so many varieties to grow from

Lettuce farming in Nigeria has grown into widespread cultivation either as backyard farming or commercial farming. No more seasonality disadvantage as the cultivation hindrances has been settled by less-stress approach, technologies and agronomic practices.

PROFITABILITY AND MARKETABILITY OF LETTUCE FARMING IN NIGERIA

Its profits stem from continual harvest. 500g of lettuce costs on the average N500 in Nigeria because of its unique purposes. It can be sold on E-commerce platforms, to restaurants, hotels, for ceremonies and to individuals who love eating vegetables. People’s consciousness has painstakingly increased towards eating greens

MARKETING

All lettuce is marketed as a fresh product. Today, almost all head lettuce is field-packed for bulk sale or for transport to a salad processing plant. Estimates suggest that about one-fourth of all iceberg lettuce is now destined for processing into pre packaged salads.

WORLD PRODUCTION

Europe and North America originally dominated the market for lettuce, but by the late 20th century the consumption of lettuce had spread throughout the world. World production of lettuce was 27 million tonnes, 56% of which came from China

CHALLENGES OF LETTUCE OF LETTUCE FARMING IN NIGERIA

Here are some challenges that can affect starting lettuce farming in Nigeria, Africa, or many other places around the world:

1. Pest and diseases
2. Lack of funding for large scale production
3. Lack of a highly favourable market
4. Lack of highly equipped storage facilities 
5. Lack of efficient production mechanisms
6. Absence of a vast ready market
7. Poor funding of research activities
8. Lack of capital for large scale production
9. Lack of easy access to the international market
10. Instability of the international market price
11. Lack of adequate widespread knowledge on how to produce high-quality products
12. Lack of funds to import international standard processing machinery
13. Thieves and criminals

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE  IN LETTUCE  FARMING

Whilst lettuce can be grown across most states in Nigeria, domestic production remains at less than 1% (<200,000 tonnes) of global output (26.87 million tonnes). This presents an opportunity for commercial investment in the lettuce value chain.

Who can I produce for?

1. Drug Companies:

Lettuce can be used in drug production as it contains a milky fluid secreted by several species of lettuce—called lactucarium—and this has putative sedative and analgesic properties.

2. Juice Factories: 

Lettuce comes in handy in juice production as it contains liquid nutritional contents which are mostly consumed by gyms and fitness centres.

3. Salads Outlets:

Salads at home and restaurants are barely complete without a touch of lettuce in them.

 

FINANCIALS:

Before venturing into production of lettuce, there are lots of things that you need to understand. But below are basic to get you started

Starting a lettuce farming requires 

1. Land either leased or purchased( Do you already own a land, are you leasing or you want to bug)?
2. Starting capital: Your starting capital determines if the size of the farm
3. Purchase of inputs (Seeds, Pesticides and Fertilizers)
4. Soil tests for your land if its virgin 
5. Land preparation and cleaning 
6. Pesticides application 
7. Manure or Fertilizer application 
8. Labour for planting, harvesting, processing,etc. 

For anyone considering going into Lettuce production, you have to put the aforementioned things into consideration. 

The cost of lettuce production varies depending on the location. It is labour-intensive, especially for harvest and post-harvest handling and packaging.

 

CONCLUSION

The large scale  lettuce farming business in Nigeria is fairly new and can be a lucrative and profitable venture to 

start-up if you can adhere to the right agronomic practices,  the use of right inputs,proper  handling and processing. It is always advisable to look for markets before venturing into any form of agriculture. If you are looking 4 a possible business ventures,Lettuce farming in is a great option to explore for those thinking of what new business in agriculture is there.

 

REFERENCES

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettuce#:~:text=Lettuce%20(Lactuca%20sativa)%20is%20an,it%20can%20also%20be%20grilled.

https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/vegetables/lettuce#:~:text=Total%20lettuce%20production%20in%20the,crop%20in%20terms%20of%20value.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/lettuce

https://agricincome.com/lettuce-farming-in-nigeria-beginners-guide/#:~:text=Lettuce%20grows%20on%20a%20very,soil%20pH%20is%205.5%20%E2%80%93%206.5.

https://www.enibest.com.ng/all-posts/agriculture/lettuce-farming-business/

https://university.upstartfarmers.com/blog/harvesting-handling-lettuce-longer-shelf-life

https://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/nutrition-health-iceberg-lettuce

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15291483/

https://blog.gardeningknowhow.com/gkh-musings/season-for-fall-garden-chores/

https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/lettuce/

https://www.proshareng.com/news/Commodities/Nigeria%E2%80%99s-Annual-Lettuce-Output–Less-/44265