Yield and crop quality of modern cabbage varieties when grown in open ground conditions

This article presents the results of a two-year study of lettuce hybrids grown during two planting periods. Five lettuce hybrids from the Rijk Zwaan breeding and seed company were selected as research objects. Based on the results, recommendations for open-field lettuce cultivation for producers are provided, along with an assessment of the main economically valuable traits of lettuce. It was found that when lettuce was grown during the second sowing period, almost all hybrids showed a decrease in the average head weight and, consequently, yield. The plants were more susceptible to bacterial diseases. Presumably, this may be due to high temperatures and insufficient soil moisture. At the same time, the studied hybrids were characterized by a variety-specific response: the F1 Jasperinas hybrid was more susceptible to the disease, while the F1 Izanas hybrid demonstrated the greatest resistance. Concurrently, the studied hybrids exhibited a cultivar-specific reaction: the lettuce hybrid F1 Jasperinas proved to be the most susceptible to bacterial infection, whereas the lettuce hybrid F1 Izanas, conversely, showed itself to be the most resistant to the pathogen. The key task of open-field vegetable growing is to provide the population with a constant and sufficient supply of all types of vegetables. Vegetable products that are consumed fresh are of particular value, as they are an important source of vitamins and mineral salts. A special place in this is occupied by green vegetables, which are used for food only in fresh form, and a person receives all the nutrients from them almost unchanged. Due to its nutritional value and the technological effectiveness of growing lettuce, lettuce is one of the most widespread crops in global production.