Open-field Tomato Research Articles

Effects of the Agrivoltaic System on Crop Production: The Case of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Climate change, with rising temperatures, water crises, and an increased frequency of climate disturbances, poses a threat to the ability of agroecosystems to ensure human access to food by affecting both the quantity and quality of crop production. Currently, there is growing knowledge about the fact that agrivoltaic systems may represent a direct strategy to cope with climate change driven by carbon dioxide emissions for energy production, preserving the capacity of agroecosystems to maintain food security. The aim of this work was to investigate the impact of environmental conditions generated by photovoltaic (PV) panels for sustaining open-field tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit production under varying water supply regimes. Tomato plants were grown beneath PV panels or in full sunlight. In each scenario, two plots with an equal number of plants were subjected to different irrigation levels: high watering (HW) and low watering (LW). The results showed a lower number of tomato fruit produced grown under the PV panels, with an increased fruit size and water content under a normal water supply. The Brix degrees of the tomato fruits grown under the panel were more comparable to the fruits commercially available on the market than the Brix degree of the fruits grown in open-field sunlight. Thus, our data supported the conclusion that the agrivoltaic system, in the context of climate change with the enduring drought and long-term water scarcity, can be a good adaptation strategy to maintain favorable tomato production compared to the full sunlight conditions. Furthermore, these results can be important for planning breeding programs, since in many cases, the tomato fruits grown in full sunlight were seedless.

Assessing the impact of oil palm husk-derived biochar on soil characteristics and tomato yield in Okitipupa, coastal agroecosystems

Innovative technologies using biochar were certified to mitigate the impacts of climate change and soil degradation on agriculture and ensure food security. An experiment was carried out in 2022 & 2023 cropping seasons to evaluate the effectiveness of biochar application rates at 10 t/ha, 7.5 t/ha, and 5 t/ha on soil properties and yield parameters of tomato varieties. The experiment was laid out in a RCBD replicated three times. The results show that application at 10 t/ha improved and increased pH, organic carbon, total N, and available P and K. Maximum fruit number/ha (686.2) and harvest weight (3452kg) were recorded at 7.5kg/ha. In comparison, 10 t/ha had the maximum biomass (dry weight) and harvest index compared to those of the control. The rate of 7.5 kg/ha of biochar could improve the yield, nutrient efficiency, and economic benefits of open-field tomato plants. It could be recommended for managing agricultural production.

Yield, Quality, and Nitrogen Leaching of Open-Field Tomato in Response to Different Nitrogen Application Measures in Northwestern China.

The overuse of fertilizers in open-field tomato leads to soil deterioration through nutrient leaching and increases the risk of agricultural non-point source contamination. Currently, the combined effects of different fertilization methods on soil nitrogen leaching and tomato production are still unclear. Therefore, the most effective fertilization method for open-field tomato should be discovered by examining how different fertilization methods affected tomato yield and quality, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and soil nitrogen leaching. Compared with CK (no fertilization), fertilization significantly increased the yield, total sugar (TS), total soluble solids (TSS), and vitamin C (vC) contents of fruits (p < 0.05), and OPT (optimal fertilization, controlled release nitrogen application, 240 kg ha-1) had the largest effect on increasing yield, quality, and net profit. However, when the fertilizer application rate reached 375 kg ha-1, these indices decreased. Nitrogen leaching concentrations, leaching amount, and titratable acids (TAs) increased with increased nitrogen application rates. Compared with other treatments, OPT reduced the total leaching amounts of total nitrogen (TN), nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N), and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) by 30.09-51.79%, 24.89-50.03%, and 30-65%, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that OPT achieved the highest overall score in terms of yield, quality, and nitrogen leaching conditions. The partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) further reveals that applications of high amounts of nitorigen have a positive effect on soil nitrogen leaching. The amount of nitrogen leaching vegetatively affects tomato yield and quality, while plant uptake of nitrogen positively affects tomato production. These findings confirm the importance of using controlled-release fertilizers and reducing nitrogen inputs to control nitrogen leaching and enhance open-field tomato yields.

Effects of Glomus fasciculatum, Azotobacter chroococcum and Vermicompost Leachate on the Production and Quality of Tomato Fruit

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) and vermicompost constitute important environmental and economic resources for improving the production and quality of tomato fruits. The present research aims to determine the single and combined effect of Glomus fasciculatum (Gf) fungus, Azotobacter chroococcum (Azot), PGPB and vermicompost leachate (VL) organic fertilizer on the yield and quality of tomato fruit. Thus, an open-field experiment was established with seven treatments, a control and three replicates. Total soluble solids, vitamin C, acidity, fruit mass and fruit diameter were evaluated as fruit quality variables; the yield was recorded and estimated in tons per hectare−1. The results showed that Gf, Azot and VL were effective in promoting tomato yield and fruit quality. As a trend, the triple combination (Gf + Azot + VL) evidently obtained the highest values of total soluble solids, vitamin C and fruit acidity. The range of improvement concerning the fruit size was 66.6% (single treatment) compared to 78.5% (triple combination). The maximum yield of 54.5 t/ha−1 was recorded for the Gf + Azot + VL combination. Therefore, G. fasciculatum, A. chroococcum and VL are considered useful as organic alternatives for open-field tomato biofertilization programs in tropical countries.

Post-harvest Technology Adoption and Income Patterns of Tomato Farmers in Nepal

A study was conducted in the Kavrepalanchok district of Nepal to analyze the post-harvest technology adoption among open field and plastic house tomato growers and assess the factors of tomato production determining the income of the farmers. Altogether fifty-six tomato growers were selected randomly following the Simple Random Sampling technique for the household survey. Primary data were collected using pre-tested interviews with tomato farmers. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Ms. Excel 2010. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the adoption level of post-harvest technologies and a multiple linear regression model was carried out to estimate the factors of tomato production affecting the household income. Analysis of the post-harvest practices of farmers suggested that 53.85% of plastic house growers and 33.33% of open field growers harvested tomatoes in the yellow stage; 44.64% of farmers practiced grading; 88.5% plastic house tomatoes and 80.0% open field tomatoes were packed in plastic crates; only 26.49% practiced processing; more than half of the farmers had access to collection centers; the majority had a medium level of knowledge regarding different post-harvest management technologies. Among various factors, Nova variety was estimated to increase household income by 71% followed by production per unit area (48%), cost of cultivation (37%), access to processing industries (10%), and direct selling to consumers (9%). In wholesome, though NARC has recommended many post-harvest technologies, the adoption level is unsatisfactory. The unavailability of a sufficient quantity of quality fertilizers, lack of rural infrastructure facilities including roads, and inadequate technological extension were the factors hindering the adoption of post-harvest technologies in the study area.

Economic feasibility of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production under protected and unprotected environment

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a high-value crop that is in high demand globally. The present study was carried out at G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar, Uttarakhand during 2016–18 with the objective to explore the economic feasibility of tomato production under controlled and uncontrolled environments. The present study examines the costs and returns associated with the production of tomatoes in greenhouses and open fields, including the initial investment, operational costs, and revenue generated. The study found that greenhouse tomato production was more expensive, with a higher initial investment and operational costs, but generated higher yields and returns per unit area. On the other hand, open-field tomato production had lower initial investment and operational costs but had lower yields and returns per unit area. Overall, tomato production can be economically feasible under both controlled and uncontrolled environments, but the decision to use either method should be based on the specific conditions of each farm and the market demand for the product.

Tomato leaf color as predictor of soil moisture value using machine learning techniques

Fresh water supplies for irrigation purposes must be used sparingly and judiciously, as water is an invaluable natural resource that is in short supply in much of the Earth. Soil moisture in fields is not uniform everywhere, and deploying thousands of sensors is unnecessarily expensive. The purpose of this publication is to model and predict the relationship between tomato plants leaf color, soil moisture, and thus manage the irrigation process in an optimal manner. The research was conducted using generally accepted methods, the field method, and the method of statistical evaluation of results. Machine learning algorithms (MLA) and data mining are utilized in this paper to model the relationship between RGB color values from tomato leaves and soil moisture and temperature. The color of the leaves of open field tomato plantations grown without stakes is the focus of this study. Three main tasks are fulfilled: to prove that there is a relationship between leaf color and soil moisture, to study its supposedly nonlinear type and to model this relationship with MLA. First, a classifier is trained, and then a model is created and saved. Finally, the efficiency of the chosen model is tested using a different test data set. The name “12-9-6-3” for the methodology of measurements is fgiven. It is proven that the young leaves are more informative about the need for watering. As a result, there is less than a 1% error in predicting soil moisture using the color of tomato leaves considering also soil temperature, using M5P regression model. This predictive model can be used in creation of automated systems for optimal irrigation management and water saving

EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS OF OPEN FIELD TOMATO PRODUCTION IN PUNJAB: A NON PARAMETRIC DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS APPROACH

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; This study was designed to calculate production efficiency (technical, economic and allocative) and determinants of inefficiency in open field tomato production in Punjab, Pakistan. Simple random sampling was used for primary data collection from 70 farmers in 2014. Data envelopment analysis explored the mean of technical (79.4%), allocative (58.1%) and economic (45.9%) efficiency. It showed the capability of 21.6 and 41.9% reduction in inputs and total cost, respectively with same output and technology. For sub groups, technical efficiency (92.1%) was more for medium farmer while allocative (74.2%) and economic efficiency (63.8%) was higher for large farmer. Tobit model explored the negative impact of education, experience, extension services and credit availability on inefficiency. Impact on inefficiency was positive for family size, area and vegetable market distance.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Greenhouse and open-field Tomato farming. A comparison through yield and growth parameters investigated in Dar es Salaam

Growth in terms of yield and growth parameters of tomato plants grown in greenhouse and open fields was investigated in the present study. Growth in terms of height results showed that the p-value was found to be 0.025054. The significant differences were observed in tomato crops grown in two systems at p

Heteropteran Bugs Assemblage Associated to Organic Tomato Farms: Knowledge for Pest Management.

The suborder Heteroptera (Hemiptera) includes zoophagous and zoophytophagous species which conform diverse natural enemies' systems with potential to control several horticultural pests. In this study, we report the assemblage structure of heteropteran bugs species inhabiting open-field and greenhouse organic tomato crops and one common adjacent non-crop solanaceous plant, Solanum sisymbriifolium, in North Buenos Aires province, Argentina, aimed to select promissory biocontrol species. Biweekly direct inspection of selected plants was carried out during a 3-year period (2017-2019) to collect hemipteran nymphs and adults. As a result, nine species and morphospecies belonging to Berytidae (zoophytophagous), Lygaeidae (phytophagous), and Miridae (phytophagous and zoophytophagous) were found, with ≥ 75% of species belonging to the latter family. The zoophytophagous mirid Tupiocoris cucurbitaceus(Spinola) was the most frequent and dominant species in all sites studied. Among the phytophagous species, Nysius simulans Stålwas mostly present in greenhouse crops. The community found in greenhouse tomato crops was more diverse than that registered in open-field crops. The characterization of the heteropteran complex in organic tomato farms provides basic knowledge necessary to design pest control strategies in the region studied.

Sesame as an Alternative Host Plant to Establish and Retain Predatory Mirids in Open-Field Tomatoes.

The silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and the South America tomato pinworm (Tuta absoluta) are two of the most destructive pests of tomato. Open-field tomato production frequently relies on chemical treatments, which has been shown to lead to pesticide resistance. The integration of biological control using predatory mirid bugs is an effective alternative method for managing these pests. However, methods to establish and maintain populations of zoophytophagous mirids are not adequately described. We explored the potential use of two mirids naturally occurring in Florida, Nesidiocoris tenuis and Macrolophus praeclarus. We conducted 6 field experiments over 4 consecutive years to develop a strategy to maintain the mirids. Pre-plant inoculation of tomato plants did not lead to their establishment, likely due to the low prevalence of prey. We explored the use of sesame (Sesamum indicum) to retain the mirids. Intercropping sesame maintained the populations of N. tenuis throughout the duration of the crop. Macrolophus praeclarus never established in any of the open-field experiments. Nesidiocoris tenuis damage was minimal (<1 necrotic ring/plant) and mirid damage was reduced in the presence of sesame. Our results show that intercropping sesame may provide a means to utilize mirids to manage B. tabaci, an established pest, and provide options to tomato growers should T. absoluta invade USA.

Biochar-based fertiliser improved the yield, quality and fertiliser utilisation of open field tomato in karst mountainous area

Biochar-based fertiliser (BF) is beneficial to improve yield and quality, but the effect of BF on open field tomato remains unclear, especially in karst mountainous areas. The objective of this study was to identify the application effect and optimum application rate of BF. A field experiment was carried out in Southwestern China from 2019 to 2020 to study the effects of different application amounts of BF on the yield, quality, nutrients accumulation and fertiliser utilisation of open field tomatoes. The results showed that compared with the traditional fertilisation practice, BF can significantly increase the yield of open field tomato by 5–9% (2019) and 12–23% (2020), and significantly reduce nitrate content and increase vitamin C content of fruits. Meanwhile, nutrient accumulations, agronomic efficiency, and recovery efficiency of BF treatments were all significantly improved. In conclusion, the BF rate of 2 326 kg/ha improves yield and fertiliser utilisation in open-field tomatoes and could be recommended for tomato production in karst mountainous areas.

Integrated Protection of Tomato Crops against Tuta absoluta in Open Ground Conditions in the South-East Part of Kazakhstan

There is a need to develop strategies for the protection of tomato crops that would provide high-quality produce safe for the consumer without environmental pollution. The objective of the study is to deploy an integrated system for the protection of open-field tomato crops from Tuta absoluta using biological agents (Bracon hebetor Say., Trichogramma, biopreparations, pheromone traps) and devices in the conditions of southeast Kazakhstan to obtain environmentally safe produce. Experiments on the protection of tomato crops from pests are conducted by applying integrated protection measures with the use of entomophages, biopesticides, pheromone traps, and low-hazard pesticides on the tomato field of the Musa private farm. Per the results of the experiments on protecting open-field tomato plants from Tuta absoluta, the effectiveness of the employed instruments reaches up to 90%. The obtained results can be used to protect tomato plants accounting for pest density and the phase of crop development. Thus, based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the primary elements of the integrated system for the protection of tomato crops against Tuta absoluta should include the application of biological preparations, entomophages and, if necessary, low-hazard insecticides, as well as the use of pheromone traps to detect the appearance of the moths and capture them en masse.

Performance Evaluation of AquaCrop Model in Processing Tomato Biomass, Fruit Yield and Water Stress Indicator Modelling

A three-year long experiment was conducted on open-field tomato with different levels of water shortage stress. Three different water supply levels were set in 2017 and four levels for 2018 and 2019. Biomass and yield data were collected, along with leaf-temperature-based stress measurements on plants. These were used for calibration and validation of the AquaCrop model. The validation gave various results of biomass and yield simulation during the growing season. The largest errors in the prediction occurred in the middle of the growing seasons, but the simulation became more accurate at harvest in general. The prediction of final biomass and yields were good according to the model evaluation indicators. The relative root mean square error (nRMSE) was 12.1 and 13.6% for biomass and yield prediction, respectively. The modeling efficiency (EF) was 0.96 (biomass) and 0.99 (yield), and Willmott’s index of agreement (d) was 0.99 for both predicted parameters at harvest. The lowest nRMSE (4.17) was found in the simulation of final yields of 2018 (the calibration year). The best accuracy of the validation year was reached under mild stress treatment. No high correlation was found between the simulated and measured stress indicators. However, increasing and decreasing trends could be followed especially in the severely stressed treatments.

Parasitoids of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) in open field tomato crop in Iraq

The tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an invasive pest in Iraq, that represents a global threat to commercial tomato production, in both open field and greenhouse. Field survey was conducted to identify parasitoids of T. absoluta in tomato open field in three sites: Suweera, Azeezia and Kut in Wasit province, central Iraq during the 2019 cropping season. Five hymenopterans parasitoid species were identified on T. absoluta as: two egg parasitoids Trichogramma pintoi Voegele (Trichogrammatidae) and Telenomus sp. (Platygastridae); two larval parasitoids Habrobracon concolorans Marshall (Braconidae) and Closterocerus sp. (Eulophidae), and one parasitoid of pupa, Proconura sp. (Chalcididae). The present study reports the first record of these parasitoids of T. absoluta on tomato open field in Iraq.

Lifecycle Assessment of Tomato Production in Open Field and Greenhouse in Dharmapuri District of Tamilnadu

Aim: Tomatoes are commercially cultivated in open- field (OF) and greenhouse (GH) in Dharmapuri district of Tamilnadu. The main aim of this study is to assess the environmental impact of selected categories in open-field and greenhouse tomato cultivation using the lifecycle assessment (LCA) methodology.&#x0D; Methodology: The primary data was gathered from 30 open field and 30 greenhouse farmers in Dharmapuri district. The system boundary selected for the study is ‘cradle to farm gate’ approach and the functional unit based on mass is one ton of tomato production. The Openlca software was used for the impact assessment in which the CML- IA baseline method was used to calculate the impact categories.&#x0D; Findings: The results indicated that the environmental impact of greenhouse is lower than the open-field due to high yield and less energy inputs. Field emissions of ammonia, methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide due to the incorporation of large amount of manure and the usage of fertilizers were the main contributor of the impact categories.

Linear mixed model analysis of NDVI-based canopy coverage, extracted from sequential UAV multispectral imagery of an open field tomato irrigation experiment

This study presents the use of a linear mixed model to accurately estimate the dynamics of canopy cover (CC) during an irrigation experiment on a tomato crop, performed in the Peruvian coastal desert. Initially, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)-based CC was computed using multispectral sensors over consecutive weekly UAV flights, during the growing season of the crop. The drone high-resolution sequential imagery, combined with image segmentation on plant level, results in repeated measures growth curves of the coverage per plant. To analyze these repeated measures data per plant, cubic polynomials without intercept showed the best goodness-of-fit of the CC dynamics per plant. As a consequence, this polynomial was incorporated in a linear mixed model (LMM) as a random coefficient model to fit the plant-specific time evolution of CC as deviations from the mean time effects per irrigation treatment. The mixed model approach is capable to estimate the coverage curves per plant with high accuracy and a very limited number of model parameters. The results and statistical analysis demonstrate the potential benefits of the linear mixed model for incorporating plant-specific random components in addition to classical fixed effects models. Thus, the proposed linear mixed canopy model is a very efficient way to model plant-specific growth curves together with the treatment and design structure of the experiment.

Susceptibility of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) Pupae to Soil Applied Entomopathogenic Fungal Biopesticides.

Simple SummaryThe invasive tomato pinworm is one of the most destructive insect pests of tomato in Africa. The majority of farmers respond to infestations by applying chemical insecticides. However, the overreliance on this control method has deemed several insecticides ineffective due to resistance evolution. It is therefore crucial that integrated approaches are put in place, of which biopesticides play an important role, to mitigate this problem. Amongst the biopesticides, entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are promising options. EPF applications aimed to control this pest have been highly effective, although the majority are applied against the larval and egg stages. This study investigated the susceptibility of pupae of the tomato pinworm against EPF products (Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae) when applied as a soil drench. High pupal mortality rates were recorded for all EPF products tested in bioassays and growth tunnel experiments. A significant reduction in fecundity was observed in moths that survived the pupal EPF applications, with no effects on moth fertility. Overall, our findings provide evidence of the suppressive potential when administering EPF conidia as a soil drench to disrupt the life cycle of Tuta absoluta for use in integrated pest management programs.Management of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in greenhouses and under open-field tomato cultivation relies on an integrated approach, largely targeting the egg and larval stages of the pest. However, little to no research has been done on the efficacy of EPFs for control of the pupal stage. The aims of this study were to determine the susceptibility of T. absoluta pupae to Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae spores applied as soil drench treatments, and the possible effects of these treatments on fecundity and fertility of moths. The lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC80) of the respective products were estimated in dose-response bioassays by exposing pupae in a soil substrate to different concentrations of EPF products. Emerging moths were paired in different combinations, according to EPF exposure treatments after which fecundity and fertility of females were recorded. Pupae in the soil were effectively controlled by all EPF products in both bioassays as well as in a growth tunnel experiment. The LC50 value of the B. bassiana oil formulation was significantly lower than that of other treatments. The fecundity of females that were subjected to the B. bassiana oil formulation was significantly lower than that of the control treatment. This study showed the potential of soil drench applications of both B. bassiana and M. anisopliae for control of T. absoluta pupae.

Control of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in open field tomato crops using the mating disruption technique

This study was conducted in Meram district of Konya province (Turkey) in 2018 and 2019 to evaluate the efficacy of mating disruption against the tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta in an open-field tomato growing area. Three pheromone-treated fields and three control fields were used to evaluate the effectiveness of mating disruption in both years. In pheromone-treated fields, mating disruption pheromone was applied once at a rate of 2500 g/ha with a caulking gun. In control fields, only pheromone traps were hung for monitoring and comparing the pest population. Male captures in monitoring pheromone traps and infestation rates of tomato plants by T. absoluta were recorded weekly. The mean number of males captured in the traps per week in pheromone-treated fields in 2018 and 2019 was 120.86 ± 16.82 and 69.90 ± 15.70, respectively. In control fields, the mean number of males captured in the traps per week in 2018 and 2019 was 299.73 ± 16.82 and 230.75 ± 15.70, respectively. The mean percentage of infestation of the pest was 4.40 ± 0.56% in pheromone-treated fields, while it was 11.80 ± 0.56% in control fields in 2018. In 2019, the mean percentage of infestation of the pest was recorded in pheromone-treated and control fields as 1.88 ± 0.52% and 7.39 ± 0.52%, respectively. As a result of the study, it was determined that the mating disruption application against T. absoluta was successful in all three pheromone-treated fields when compared to control fields in both years. This technique was tested for the first time against the tomato leafminer in Turkey with this project.

Environmental fate of pesticides in open field and greenhouse tomato production regions from Colombia

The environmental fate of pesticides has been widely studied in temperate regions but not in tropical regions. In Colombia, tomato is an important commodity characterized by the excessive use of pesticides; however, the environmental fate of pesticides has not yet been determined. Residues for 30 pesticides were analyzed in fruits, leaves, and soils samples, as well as residues for 490 pesticides in water and sediments, from two open field and greenhouse tomato production regions, by direct sampling in the field and subsequent laboratory analysis through liquid or gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrophotometry. A total of 22 pesticides were detected, being the highest concentrations for thiocyclam in fruits (0.79 mg kg−1), indoxacarb in leaves (24.81 mg kg−1) and dimethomorph in soils (44.45 mg kg−1), however no residues were detected in water or sediments. At least one pesticide was detected in 66.7% of the samples. Methomyl and dimethomorph were common in fruits, leaves and soils for both regions; in addition, seven pesticides exceeded the Maximum Residue Limits. The results showed a high presence and affinity of pesticides in the environmental compartments of high-Andean tomato production regions, mainly in soils and open field productive systems.