Heavier NFT lettuce in all three varieties at Colorado State University
+24%
All 3
180
Trial Summary
Colorado State University ran this winter trial at CSU Spur, its applied research greenhouse in Denver, in November and December 2024. Three Rijk Zwaan lettuce varieties were grown in NFT channels, from coir plugs.
Overture® A was sprayed onto the seed at sowing and onto the leaves about 12 days later. It was tested within a wider CSU experiment, with half of the plants in each group inoculated and half left untreated. CSU staff weighed every plant individually at harvest.
Conclusions
In NFT, Overture® A produced heavier lettuce heads in all three varieties: +34% for Gladius, +22% for Rex and +20% for Salanova Red Oakleaf (median head weight). A statistical model across the three varieties puts the increase at +24%. Treated plants were heavier in 10 of the 11 groups of the wider experiment.
The heads were small, as expected for a winter crop under low light, and the gain came from just two applications: one onto the seed and one onto the leaves.
