- Dr. Doug Waterer (Retired) University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SK Canada Vegetable Research Articles
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- Quality of Sequentially Planted Head Lettuce (2002) - 3 pages
Quality of Sequentially Planted Head Lettuce (2002) - 3 pages
Growers commonly report indicate problems with quality in head lettuce. In cultivar trials conducted by the University of Saskatchewan, over 50% of the crop was commonly graded as unmarketable. Problems with poor flavour, bolting and tip burn are often attributed to excessively high temperatures. Leaf drop caused by the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is also a problem for growers relying on heavy irrigation to get the crop through a period of excessive heat. This trial evaluated the quality of head lettuce crops transplanted at differing stages of a Saskatchewan growing season. It was expected that the quality of the earliest transplanted crop would be superior to crops grown during the heat of mid-summer. The potential to use fungicides to control leaf drop was also evaluated.