Fruit quality traits of greenhouse grown tomatoes as influenced by genotypes, irrigation and fertilization rates

Climate change is a major challenge for modern agriculture, especially in so called “sensitive areas” in which Bulgaria belongs.
Because of the pessimistic predictions for a significant decrease in the annual precipitations, there is a need of new research for improvement of water and nutrient use efficiencies.
The current study was undertaken to assess the effects of different irrigation and fertilization rates on some fruit quality traits of greenhouse grown tomatoes.
A factorial experiment was designed to examine three irrigation rates (75%W; 100%W; 125%W of crop evapotranspiration), two fertilization rates (75%F; 100%F) and three cultivars (commercial F₁ hybrids). The observed general tendency is that decreasing water content resulted in slight increase of dry matter, total soluble solids (TSS), and vitamin C content, while varying fertilizer rates did not change significantly the studied traits.
It was observed that tomato fruit quality is affected more strongly by irrigation, than fertilization rates.
Titratable acidity and pH differed among the cultivars but not among the applied treatments.
The highest values of dry matter, TSS, and vitamin C content were observed in a combination of the low irrigation (75% W) and optimal fertilization (100%F). Strong positive correlations were established between Dry matter, TSS, and vitamin C, while a moderate negative correlation is established between fruit firmness and dry matter and TSS.

I International Symposium on Protected Cultivation, Nettings and Screens for Mild Climates

I. Tringovska, S. Grozeva, V. Stoeva, V. Asenova, R. Kireva, V. Kancheva, M. Mihov, D. Ganeva

Solanum lycopersicum L., ascorbic acid, total soluble solids, firmness, acidity

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1437.35