Performance of tomato cultivars (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) organically-grown under greenhouse conditions. / Desempenho de cultivares de tomate (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) sob sistemas orgânicos em cultivo protegido.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2005

RESUMO

Organic agriculture in Brazil has increased about 30% over the last few years since consumers are seeking for healthier foods, i.e. nutritious and free of pesticide residues. Among vegetable crops organically-grown, tomato constitutes an attractive economic opportunity for growers. However, the lack of information about management practices and cultivars adapted to organic production systems under protected cultivation are pointed out as important constraints that prevents this activity to expand. This work aimed to evaluate the performance of 11 indeterminate tomato cultivars (Avalon, Colibri, HTX – 5415, HTX – 8027, Sahel, San Marzano, San Vito, Júpiter, Raminho Sel. IPA, Saladete DRW 3410 and Jane) under two different organic management systems in unheated plastic greenhouse. Two experiments were carried out under climatically different areas of the State of São Paulo (experiment I, Ibiúna county, and experiment II in Araraquara county), from March to October 2004, in farms that commercially produce organic tomatoes under unheated plastic greenhouses. In both experiments tomato plants were staked. Tomato plants in experiment I were conducted with a single stem and apical bud removed upper 3rd cluster. The experiment was fertigated using with biofertilizers. Plant spacing was 1.5 m between rows and 0.35 m between plants. In experiment II, tomato plants were conducted with two stems without apical pruning. They were planted in double line and spaced 0.8 m between lines and 0.6 m between plants. In both experiments plant density was about 20,000 plants ha-1. Experiments were set up in a randomized complete block design. Experiment I had five replications and ten treatments, and experiment II four replications and eight treatments. Sahel hybrid exhibited an outstanding performance for marketable yield in both organic systems but, in experiment I did not differ statistically from hybrids Colibri and Saladete DRW 3410. Hybrid cultivars, in general, outperformed open pollinated cultivars for the evaluated parameters. Apical pruning had significant effect on the increase of tomato fruits graded as of better commercial acceptance (50-60 mm) and also was associated with concentration of the picking period. It was found that tomato pinworm (Tuta absoluta) constitutes a serious limiting pest for organically-grown tomatoes in both regions where the experiments were set up.

ASSUNTO(S)

tomato greenhouse conditions cultivo protegido tomate agricultura orgânica organic agriculture

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