aveia na sua forma natural, para o cultivo de três cultivares de alface. O experimento foi conduzido na Associação Brasileira de Agricultura Biodinâmica (ABD), Botucatu -SP, em delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições, em análise estatística com parcelas subdivididas. Concluiu-se que, as coberturas do solo promoveram melhor desenvolvimento e maior produção de alface quando comparadas ao solo sem cobertura. Entre os manejos da cobertura do solo, o solo coberto com plástico preto promoveu a maior produção de alface, e entre os manejos da palha, a alface lisa apresentou maior produção no solo coberto com aveia deitada, a crespa nos solos cobertos com aveia deitada e aveia em pé, e a americana nos solos cobertos com aveia ceifada e aveia em pé.Palavras-chave: Produção orgânica; Lactuca sativa L.; cobertura do solo; Avena strigosa.
ABSTRACTThe goal of this research was to evaluate the effect of the soil covering with black oats straw, and soil covered with black plastic, in growth, production and nitrogen content of the lettuce in organic production system. There have been defined five handling systems for soil covering: without cover, covered with black plastic, covered with laying oats, covered with harvested oats, and covered with oats straw in natural form, for growing three cultivars of lettuce. The trial was conducted on the Brazilian Association of Biodynamic Agriculture (ABD), Botucatu -SP. It was used the randomized blocks design in split plot system, with four replications. It has been concluded, that all soil covering systems raised better lettuce production them uncovered soil. Soil covered with black plastic raised better lettuce production among the soil covering systems. In tilled soils, the butter head lettuce showed better production over soil covered with laying oats, the green leaf lettuce shoed better production over soil covered with laying oats, and covered with oats straw in natural form, and the iceberg lettuce showed better production over soil covered with harvested oats and covered with oats straw in natural form.