Production of Commercial-Quality Tomatoes on Two Different Types of Substrate

Abstract

The quality of tomatoes is determined by factors such as appearance, hue, texture, nutritional value, ripeness of consumption, and flavor, the latter of which is quantified through the measurement of soluble solids and organic acids. This study aimed to observe and quantify the phenotypic response of the crop and evaluate the potential of these materials and use them as an alternative in protected agriculture. This research was carried out in a greenhouse within the facilities of the Faculty of Agricultural and Livestock Sciences of the Benemérita Autonomous University of Puebla, during the months of March - July 2024. The vegetative material evaluated was the saladette INKA® tomato genotype, which was acquired from a commercial nursery approximately 30 days after germination. The tomato seedling was transplanted into 40 x 40 cm bags filled with substrates (mixtures of tepojal and vermicompost in proportions of 100:0, 50:50 and 75:25, % by volume) at three densities of (3.0 plants, 4.5 plants and 6.0 plants m-2). The substrate that maximized the parameters regarding fruit quality was the one made up volumetrically of tepojal and vermicompost in the proportion (%) 75:25, however, with the 50:50 substrate the results were similar, but in this one the quantity of vermicompost used was double, which increases production costs, so the use of vermicompost mixed with tepojal favors the quality of tomato fruits in terms of size, weight and uniformity, important parameters that define the commercial standards of the fruit. The use of vermicompost in mixture with tepojal favors the quality of tomato fruits in terms of size, weight and uniformity, important parameters that define the commercial standards of the fruit. Therefore, the use of tepojal and vermicompost mixtures was an effective strategy for the production of saladette tomatoes in greenhouse conditions.