Application of sheep manure at different doses incorporated into a Latosol in lettuce production

The growing demand for more sustainable agricultural practices has encouraged the adoption of organic fertilization as a viable alternative to mineral fertilizers. This experiment was conducted from August to November 2024 at the Rafael Fernandes Experimental Farm of the Department of Plant Sciences at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region (UFERSA), in the district of Alagoinha (5º03'37"S, 37º23'50"W), with the objective of evaluating the application of sheep manure at different doses incorporated into a latosol in lettuce production. The experiment was conducted in pots under a randomized block design, with four treatments and five replications. The treatments consisted of four periods of sheep manure incorporation, varying the incorporation times (0, 21, 35, and 49 days before transplanting). The following agronomic characteristics were evaluated: plant height, number of leaves, head diameter, fresh mass, and dry mass. The best agronomic performance was observed in the 49-day period following the application of sheep manure before lettuce transplanting, with a value of 170.30 g plant-1 of green mass. The use of sheep manure is of paramount importance as an organic fertilizer in lettuce production.