engleski

Quality of Tomatoes Grown on Different Substrates and Harvested in Three Harvest Periods

Research was carried out on tomato cultivar "Belle" grown in a hydroponic system in four growing substrates (soil, perlite, expanded clay and rockwool) during two years. Depending on growing substrate, average fresh fruit weights and average total fruit yields ranged from 168.0 to 216.9 g and from 33.7 to 47.8 kg/m2 in the first year, and from 185.7 to 201.0 g and 29.10 to 42.14 kg/m2 in the second year, respectively. Fruits were analyzed for the content of dry matter (%), total soluble solids (°Brix), total acidity (g/kg citric acid), pH, NaCl (%) and ascorbic acid (mg/100 g FW). Awerage dry matter content ranged from 4.60 to 6.61%, total acids ranged from 2.4 to 5.0 g/kg, total soluble solids from 3.0 to 4.0°Brix, ratio of total soluble solids to total acids was from 7.58 to 18.69, pH values were from 4.15 to 4.72, ascorbic acid 12.67 to 24.47 (mg/100 g FW), NaCl from 0.09 to 0.45%. Results of chemical analyses indicate good quality of tomato fruits from plants grown in soil as well as of those grown in other soilless substrates. Tomatoes produced in different substrates were of uniform quality.

tomato; chemical composition; hydroponic system; substrates

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