THE EFFECT OF COLOUR PLASTIC FILMS ON THE GROWTH, YIELD AND PLANT PIGMENT CONTENT OF TOMATOES

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Experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of colour plastic films on the growth, development yield formation and yield quality of tomatoes. Red, yellow and blue colour polyethylene plastic films were used. The control was a colourless polyethylene film. The transparency of films during the vegetation period was detected at the wave length of 400-700 nm (photosynthetically active radiation). The ratio between red (600-700 nm) and blue (400-500 nm) transmission of the new plastic films is 1.01 for the transparent cover, 1.04 for the yellow, 1.08 for the red and 0.95 for the blue plastic film. During the vegetation period plastic film transparency and the ratio between the red and blue spectrum was changed. The tomatoes ‘Maximka’ was used for the experiments. Plants were grown in vegetation pots placed in a greenhouse or in the high tunnels covered with plastic film. Plant length, the number of leaves and leaf pigment content was determined during plant growth. A tomatoes fresh fruit weight and carotenoid content were determined. Experiments showed the influence of plastic film colour on plant growth and fruit pigment content. An increase of chlorophyll content as an effect of red and yellow colour plastic film was observed in the plant leaves. An increase of lycopene in tomato fruits under a yellow plastic film was detected. No effect from plastic film colour on the number of leaves was observed. There was a decrease in the tomato yield under blue coloured plastic film was shown.