Behavior of tomato cultivars under humid-tropic conditions. I. production, DMW, DMPR, VDMPR and FDMPR

Abstract

In order to study the growth process of four tomato (Lycopersicon esculenrum Mill.) cultivars, Kada, Angela, Floradel and Tropic, an experiment was carried out at the Agro-Industrial Adventist Institute In Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil, in a culture system for humid-tropic conditions to check the most adaptable cultivars. This system uses the laterally open greenhouse, covered by PVC film, with the cultivars in wooden boxes underneath. Every fourteen days after seeding date, plant samples were collected to determine dry matter weight of the plant and fresh and dry matter weight of the fruits, during all the tomato cycle. So, an analysis was made of the cultivars. Vegetable growth at this first part was estimated by the following parameters: yield, dry matter weight (DMW), dry matter production rate (DMPR), vegetative dry matter production rate (VDMPR), fruit dry matter production rate (FDMPR). The tomato plant showed full development under this culture system. The most productive cultivars belonged to the group Salada: Floradel and Tropic, being preferred over the cultivars of the group Santa Cruz: Kada and Angela.