Impact of Spraying with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Some Commercial Nutrients on Lettuce Plant (Lactuca sativa L.) Productivity and Prevention of Some Insect Pests

This study was carried out during two winter seasons of 2014/2015 at the Experimental Farm of Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt to investigate the effect of spraying with Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCAIM Y 00216 and commercial nutrients (super blue green and Novatrein) with different levels of mineral fertilizers on productivity of lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L. cv. Balady) and its protection from some insect pests (Aphids gossypii and Empoasca lybica) and assisted predators (Scymnus spp. and True spider). Pants were sprayed twice times at 30 and 45 days after transplanting.

The results indicated that vegetative growth, yield and its components and chemical constituents were promoted with all spraying materials as compared to control (sprayed with water). Generally, spraying plants with S. cerevisiae with different levels of mineral fertilizers showed significant increases in vegetative growth, yield and its components and chemical constituents than sprayed by other treatments as well as control. T2 treatment (Foliar spray with liquid culture of S. cerevisiae at 4 mL-1 + 100% NPK) gave the highest increases over control in N, P, K and protein %, which exhibited 4.08, 0.48, 4.84 and 25.49% compared to treatment of control that gave 3.12, 0.41, 4.08 and 19.54% at season 2014, respectively. Results of season 2015 gave a similar trend. On the other hand, the entomological results showed that plants treated with S. cerevisiae caused higher infesting to insect pests and assisted predators because it was more suitable for insect feeding as compare other treatments. Therefore, limit application of chemicals could be recommended for lank pest control.