Objective  Growing varieties of leafy lettuce (Lactuca Sativa) with the nutrient film technique (NFT) in a greenhouse were evaluated for the hydroponic cultivation in southern Fujian.

  Methods  Thirteen varieties of lettuce with desirable qualities were collected from the province and elsewhere for the experimentation. The morphological characteristics, leaf yield, and nutritional quality of each species grown under the NFT system in a greenhouse were monitored for analysis.

  Results  The Lvshen variety attained the greatest plant height of 29.23 cm with a yield of 94.13 g per plant, which was 48.69% higher than that of Xiaoyekuju, 57.75% higher than that of Greekn, and 63.45% higher than that of Ziya. Lvmeigui was the second highest on yield, at 89.50 g per plant. Nutritionally, Lvmeigui had the most anthocyanin and cellulose in edible leaves but least on accumulated nitrate nitrogen among all tested varieties. The greatest content of photosynthetic pigments in leaves was found in Lvshen, that of ascorbic acid in Zixia, and that of soluble sugar in Youya.

  Conclusion  Overall, Lvmeigui showed the most desirable high yield and nutritional value and was considered most suitable among the 13 varieties of lettuce for the greenhouse NFT cultivation in southern Fujian.