VIABILIDADE ECONÔMICA DO CUL TIVO DA ALFACE CRESP A EM MONOCUL TURA E EM CONSÓRCIO COM PEPINO Economic viability of the crisphead lettuce culture in monoculture and intercropping with cucumber

The protected culture, among other advantages, made possible to diminish the seasoning in offers and to improve the quality of vegetables. However, one consists in technology of high cost, that it may be attenuated with the increase in the efficiency of the use of the protected area, proportionated for the intercropping. The experiment was carried out at greenhouse at UNESP, JaboticabalSP, in the period of August and November of 2005, with the aim of evaluating the operational cost (COT) and the profitability of the crisphead lettuce Veronica (Lactuca sativa L.) in monoculture and in intercropping with the Japanese cucumber Hokushin (Cucumis sativus L.), in protected environment. The main cost items analyzed were the operational cost, the agricultural amendments and the materials cost. For the crisphead lettuce in monoculture and in intercropping, the COT was R$ 696,37 and R$ 295,06/614,4 m 2