Evaluación de la evapotranspiración en Lactuca sativa (lechuga) con y sin uso de sustratos de retención de humedad variable en un lisímetro de bajo costo

Abstract

Evapotranspiration is an essential process in the interaction between soil, plants, and the atmosphere. It defines the water requirements of crops and is crucial for establishing effective irrigation plans. Agricultural production constantly faces challenges related to the availability and efficient management of water, especially in short-cycle crops. The objective of this study was to quantify evapotranspiration and characterize the growth of lettuce plants cultivated in different substrates with varying moisture retention capacities, using a low-cost lysimeter as a monitoring tool. Five treatments were evaluated: agricultural hydrogel (T1), diaper hydrogel (T2), rice husk (T3), peat (T4), and a control (no amendment) (T5), along with their respective replications. Higher evapotranspiration was observed in treatments T1 and T5. The highest water use efficiency was achieved with T4, demonstrating that both the amount and proper release of water are essential for its efficient use. Plants treated with T4 and T5 showed higher dry weight, fresh weight, and leaf count, which favored their development. Treatment T4 stood out as the best due to its ability to optimize water use by maintaining appropriate moisture retention and release. These results confirm the usefulness of the low-cost lysimeter in water studies and highlight that the choice of substrate significantly influences both water use and crop production, making it critical to select the right one to enhance agricultural efficiency under water-scarce conditions.