Effect of zinc and magnesium on productivity and profitability of head lettuce for small-scale producers
Keywords:
Chlorophyll, Lettuce, Zinc, Small-scale producer, ProfitabilityAbstract
This study evaluated the effect of foliar applications of zinc and magnesium on yield, visual quality, and profitability of head lettuce, and its potential as a viable alternative for small-scale horticultural producers in Milagro, Ecuador. A randomized complete block design with four treatments (Zinc, Magnesium, Zinc+Magnesium, and control) and five replications was used. The combination of 300 ml Zinc and 200 ml Magnesium (T3) increased yield by 24.6% compared to the control, achieved the highest leaf greenness intensity, and obtained a benefit-cost ratio of 3.64, the most favorable of the trial. These results confirm that joint foliar fertilization of zinc and magnesium constitutes a low-cost, high-return practice, capable of strengthening family income and food security for small-scale farmers in the region.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Marcela de Jesus Villegas Alvario, Jomira Morelia Chavez Zaruma, Carlos Alfredo Miranda Castro, Kimberly Deyanira Ruiz Ruiz
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
"Universo Sur", the publishing house of the University of Cienfuegos, publishes the Universidad y Sociedad Journal under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
You may share the material for non-commercial purposes, provided that you:
-
Give appropriate credit (authors, journal, article link, and link to this license).
-
Do not create derivative works.
-
Indicate if changes were made.
Authors retain copyright.
Full license text: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
