ABSTRACT

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L) is a nutrient-dense vegetable crop that has potential economic value. According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), foreign market demand for lettuce is very high. In 2002 lettuce was exported as much as 47,942 tons and increased to 55,710 tons at the end of 2003 (Wardana, 2015). Given the increasing demand for foreign markets in accordance with the increase in population, agricultural technology is needed in cultivating lettuce.

Hydroponic cultivation techniques can be an alternative to overcome the problem of limited land. Hydroponics has several systems, one of which is the axis system. This axis hydroponic system is very simple and does not cost much to manufacture. In hydroponic cultivation, it is very important to pay attention to the nutritional problems contained therein because these nutrients play an important role in the growth and yield of cultivated plants.

Sources of nutrients that are often used in hydroponic cultivation of the axis system is to use inorganic fertilizers such as AB mix fertilizer. The continuous use of inorganic fertilizers can have a negative impact on consumers, plants, and even the environment. To overcome the problem of continuous use of inorganic fertilizers, an environmentally friendly organic fertilizer is needed. Liquid organic fertilizer can be a solution in suppressing the use of inorganic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are environmentally friendly fertilizers, and the ingredients for making organic fertilizers are widely available in nature, so they don't require a lot of money to make.