YIELD AND QUALITY OF CHERRY TOMATO (LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM VAR. CERASIFORME) CULTIVATED ON ROCKWOOL AND COCOFIBRE

Two cultivars of cherry tomato (Conchita, Favorita) were grown in the greenhouse on rockwool and cocofibre – Cocovita, in the spring-summer cycle in the years 2000 and 2001. The plants were supplied with nutrient solution containing (in 1 dcm³) the following amounts of components in mg: N-140, P-70, K-400, Mg-60, Ca-190, Fe-2.0, Mn-0.6, Cu-0.2, Zn-0.3, B-0.3, Mo-0.2, EC-2.4 with pH-5.6. At harvest time fruit was divided into marketable and non-marketable and weighed.
Dry matter, total sugars, vitamin C, beta-carotene, lycopene and total acidity in the fruit were determined.
The yields of cherry tomato cultivated on cocofibre were similar to the yields obtained from the cultivation on rockwool.
Cv.
Favorita produced better yield on cocofibre and cv.
Conchita on rockwool.
The type of substrate affected the quality of fruit.
Fruit obtained from the cultivation on cocofibre had significantly more total sugars and acids and less vitamin C and lycopene.
Cv.
Favorita contained more beta-carotene and vitamin C than Conchita cv.
The year of cultivation affected the yield and fruit quality.

VI International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climate: Product and Process Innovation

E. Halmann, J. Kobryń

Cherry tomato, yield, fruit quality, rockwool, cocofibre.

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2003.614.103