The influence of compact sowing on tomato yield and economic efficiency of its cultivation

Abstract

Purpose. To identify the possibility of tomato cultivation in compact sowing and obtaining additional yield of compacting plants in the Northern Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. The studies were carried out in 2016–2018 at the Dnipropetrovsk Experimental Station of Institute of Vegetable and Melon Growing of NAAS. Field trials were laid out as both transplanting and direct seeding crop at row spacing of 1.4 m with drip irrigation system. Tomato was the main crop; grey shallot for use as green onions and sweet corn for use in milk-wax ripeness were the compacting (companion) plants. The total yield of the main crop and the compacting plants with calculating the efficiency of cultivation in compact sowing was measured after the crops were harvested according to the experimental technique in vegetable and melon growing. Results. Tomato compact sowing influenced on plant growth and development, as well as was reflected in yield components. The average tomato fruit weight with shallot compacting was almost the same as in the control with no compacting (59.2 vs. 59.7 g in transplanting crop and 56.2 vs. 56.8 g in direct seeding crop) while with sweet corn compacting it was lower by 7.1 and 10.2 %. The yield of tomato in the control variant was 42.2 t/ha in transplanting crop and 37.7 t/ha in direct seeding crop; when shallot compacting, it was reduced by 1.6 and 1.7 t/ha and was within the standard error. A more noticeable decrease in fruit yield (by 2.7 and 3.1 t/ha or 6.4 and 8.2 %) as compared to the control was revealed with sweet corn compacting. Additionally, it was produced 9.3 and 8.9 t/ha of grey shallot, 2.6 and 2.5 t/ha of sweet corn. The more total yield (49.8 t/ha) was obtained with shallot compacting in transplanting crop that exceeds the control by 7.6 t/ha (18 %). The total yield of tomato and sweet corn was within the control variant (42.1 and 37.1 t/ha). The profit and profitability depended on productivity of the main crop and the compacting plants. The total profit through various variants of compact tomato sowing was 87,000–146,600 UAH/ha that exceeded the control by 4,600–48,600 UAH/ha. The profitability level increased by 6.5 and 21.0 % with shallot compacting and by 12.7 and 6.5 % with sweet corn compacting. The most total profit (146,600 and 124,500 UAH/ha) and profitability level (186.3 and 199.5 %) were obtained when compact tomato sowing with shallot as compared to sowing with no compacting. Conclusions. Resulted from the research, elements of the technology for growing tomato with compact sowings in the conditions of the Northern Steppe of Ukraine have been developed which provide an increase in the yield of vegetable products per unit area due to compacting plants.