Vol. 40 No. 3 (2026):
Articles

Morpho-physiological and yield responses of green lettuce to growing media volumes in urban cultivation

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  • R.P. Ria,
  • B. Lakitan,
  • F. Gustiar
R.P. Ria
College of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indralaya 30662, Indonesia.
B. Lakitan
¹ College of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indralaya 30662, Indonesia. ² Research Centre for Sub-optimal Lands, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang 30139, Indonesia.
F. Gustiar
College of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indralaya 30662, Indonesia.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-19438
Categories

Published 2026-10-26

Keywords

  • Lettuce,
  • media,
  • micro-climate,
  • urban farming,
  • volume

How to Cite

Ria, R. P., Lakitan, B., & Gustiar, F. (2026). Morpho-physiological and yield responses of green lettuce to growing media volumes in urban cultivation. Advances in Horticultural Science, 40(3), 237–245. https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-19438

Copyright (c) 2026 Rofiqoh Purnama Ria, Benyamin Lakitan, Dedik Budianta, Marlin Sefrila, Fitra Gustiar

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

Urban agriculture requires efficient production in restricted spaces, making growing medium volume a critical determinant of lettuce performance. This study evaluated the effects of three medium volumes on the morpho-physiological responses and yield of green lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three polybag sizes, i.e. 15 × 20 cm (V1), 20 × 25 cm (V2), and 25 × 30 cm (V3), each treatment replicated four times, with six plants per replication. The smallest medium volume (V1) increased midday soil temperature by 34°C and leaf temperature by 33°C, while reducing soil moisture by 20% relative to V3, indicating greater heat and water stress. These conditions reduced canopy development, resulting in 61.6% fewer leaves, smaller leaf dimensions (leaf area decreased by 74.8%), and lower yield (-76.7%). In contrast, the largest medium volume (V3) improved the root zone microclimate and plant water status, producing the highest vegetative growth and yield. Leaf area was reliably predicted non-destructively using the linear model (Y = 0.8019x) (where (Y) is leaf area and (x) is leaf length × width), with a coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9882). Overall, increasing growing medium volume enhanced root zone conditions, leaf area development and final yield. Small volumes remain usable in urban systems if supported by adequate irrigation to maintain soil moisture.

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