CRESCIMENTO E DESENVOLVIMENTO DE TOMATEIRO CULTIVADO EM AMBIENTE PROTEGIDO SOB DIFERENTES CONCENTRAÇÕES DE SOLUÇÃO E SUBSTRATOS

Abstract

The growing concern about global food security is driven by the increasing world population and economic instability due to the pandemic and geopolitical conflicts, in addition to adverse climatic events. The demand for food, population growth, and the challenges of expanding agricultural land make soilless protected cultivation an interesting management approach due to its higher production capacity per area. The tomato is a significant food source for the Brazilian population and performs well when cultivated in soilless and protected environments. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the management of electrical conductivity and the use of different substrates and their effects on tomato cultivation. The experiment followed a completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 repetitions of 3 different electrical conductivity levels (1.8 mS/cm, 2.6 mS/cm, and 3.4 mS/cm) and 3 substrate types: carbonized rice husk (100%), coconut fiber (100%), and a mixed substrate (50% carbonized rice husk and 50% coconut fiber), forming a 3x3 factorial scheme. Measured variables included plant height, number of nodes, internode distance, total and non-commercial fruit fresh weight, total and non-commercial fruit count, soluble solids concentration, and titratable acidity. The management of nutrient solution electrical conductivity and substrates did not demonstrate significant differences in any case, except for the carbonized rice husk substrate, which showed higher °Brix content compared to coconut fiber and mixed substrate.