Abstract
Because of the food and industrial importance of tomato, it holds great significance, and is one of the most produced species using the hydroponic cultivation systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different concentrations of nutrient solution on the production and quality of cherry tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum ‘Samambaia’) grown in a hydroponic system in protected conditions. The experiment was conducted in pots filled with coconut fiber substrate using a randomized complete block design with four replications and six plants per plot. Five concentrations of nutrients were evaluated (50, 75, 100, 125, and 150% of the standard nutrient solution); the solutions produced the following electrical conductivities: 1.8, 2.0, 2.6, 3.4, and 3.9 dS m-1, respectively. At 90 days after transplanting, the tomato fruits were harvested, at which time the production variables and post-harvest quality of mature fruits were determined. The best production and post-harvest quality indexes of cherry tomatoes (‘Samambaia’) were found when using 111% of the standard nutrient solution, corresponding to the concentrations of 9.44, 2.44, 2.22, 6.44, 4.11, 2.44, and 2.78 mmolc L-1, of NO3-, NH4+, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S, respectively; and 66.6, 55.5, 14.4, 1.89, 0.56, and 0.44 mmolc L-1, of Fe, B, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Mo, respectively. Nutrient solutions with electrical conductivity above 2.89 dS m-1 severely reduced the fruit yield of cherry tomatoes.
Highlights
The growing demand for increased productivity and quality of agricultural products is a catalyst for agricultural development, there is a constant need to adapt products and the means of production
The proportion of nutrients in the nutrient solution (NS) influenced the production of fruits per cherry tomato plant in a quadratic form, with an estimated maximum production of 258.48 g in the nutrient solution concentration of 101.88%; above this concentration there is a decrease in production
It can be inferred that fruit yield was negatively affected by the salinity of the hydroponic nutrient solution above 2.6 dS m-1, this was probably because of the deleterious effects of salinity caused by excess nutrients in solution
Summary
The growing demand for increased productivity and quality of agricultural products is a catalyst for agricultural development, there is a constant need to adapt products and the means of production. This aspect is relevant to horticulture because most producers have a small growing area in which they seek to obtain the maximum possible income (RINALDI et al, 2008). In hydroponic cultivation, the potassium potential is practically null due to the saturated state in which the plant is growing This is an advantage when only saline waters are available to prepare the nutrient solutions. With similar salinity conditions, hydroponic cultivation allows a greater absorption of water and nutrients by the plants, with a lower energy expenditure in comparison to soil cultivation (SILVA et al, 2013a; SÁ et al, 2015; SANTOS et al, 2017)
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