Abstract

SILVA, Marlene G da; OLIVEIRA, Charles M de  and  JUNQUEIRA, Ana Maria R. Solarization, organic and chemical fertilization combined effects on arthropods community in soil cultivated with lettuce. Hortic. Bras. [online]. 2009, vol.27, n.4, pp. 465-472. ISSN 0102-0536.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-05362009000400011.

To evaluate the effect of solarization, chemical and organic fertilization on soil arthropods community in lettuce, two blocks plots trials were carried out in Brasília, Brazil. One research was conducted with solarization and the other without solarization in a soil cultivated with lettuce, cv Veronica, under protected cultivation. Each trial consisted of five fertilization treatments: T1= organic fertilization; T2= amoniacal nitrogen (ammonium sulphate); T3= chemical fertilization; T4= organic and chemical fertilization; T5= control (without fertilization). In the solarized trial, the soil was covered for 132 days with transparent plastic. The arthropods were collected by pitfalls at three moments: 1) before solarization, 2) after solarization and 3) at harvest. Faunistic indexes were calculated in each trial, treatment and moments. The main collected groups were: Collembola (82.8%), Acari (7.1%), Hymenoptera (6.1%), Coleoptera (1.3%) and others (2.7%). Collembola class represented the largest proportion of the arthropods, even at harvest when the sub-order Acari substantially increased. The predominant species of Collembola were: Proisotoma tenella (Reuter) (34.3%); Seira atrolutea (Arlé) (29%); Folsomides centralis (Denis) (7.2%); Isotomurus sp.161 (2.4%) and Sminthurides sp. 98 (1.6%). Arthropods community was not affected by solarization or fertilization.

Keywords : Lactuca sativa L.; fauna; fertilizer; greenhouse; thermal treatment; solar energy.