TOMATO PRODUCTION IN GREENHOUSE USING VERMICOMPOST AS SUBSTRATE

Abstract

Two tomato hybrids (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) ‘Big Beef’ and ‘Miramar’, and tree substrates: S1, vermicompost + sand (1:1 in volume) + micronutrient chelates; S2, vermicompost + sand without chelates; and S3, sand + nutrient solution inorganic, were evaluated under greenhouse conditions during the 2004-2005 season. A 3 x 2 factorial arrangement was used. The six treatments were distributed in a completely randomized design with 36 replications, one plant per replication. Significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) were detected among substrates in fruit quality and yield. ‘Big Beef’ in the S3 substrate showed the highest commercial yield with 279 ha^-1, which was higher than in S1 substrate with the same hybrid. In total yield both cultivars grown in S3 yielded more than in S1; nonetheless, in S1 the fruit yield was higher than 200 t ha^-1 with both hybrids. The soluble solids content and fruit thickness pericarp were higher in S1 than in S3 and S2. Therefore, the use of vermicompost + sand + quelates can be a viable option for producing organic tomato in greenhouse.