Considering the increasing of economical importance on endive and the need of studies on this crop, the present work aimed to evaluate the behaviour of two endive cultivars (Cichorium endivia L.) under differents ambients during the period from 11/09/04 to 04/12/04, in Ponta Grossa, Paraná State. The experimental outline was a randomized block with the treatments arranged in a split plot, with four replications, being the plots represented by crop ambients (low tunnel of polyetylene, polypropylene as floating cover and natural ambient), and two cultivars (AF-254 and Marina). Endive seedlings were produced under protected cultivation, on polyestyrene trays with 200 cells, with the substrate Plantmax®. The seedlings were tranplanted at open field, 39 days after sowing. After seedling transplanting, the low tunnel was installed and also the white polypropylene with 17 g.m-2. At plant harvest, it was evaluated the number of leaves, head fresh weight and the incidence of Tipburn. The highest values of maximum and minimum temperature were observed under polypropylene till 20 days after transplant. According to the plants development the values of temperature became very close among the ambients. The highest head fresh weight was obtained at ambient of low tunnel. Between cultivars, AF-254 showed better performance than Marina, being superior on head fresh weight, although the first cultivar was more suscetible to Tipburn under protected cultivation.
Cichorium endivia; cultivar performance; low tunnel; polypropylene
