Production and physico-chemical characteristics of cherry tomatoes according to the number of stems and pot volume

Resumo

The production of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is growing all over Brazil, thanks to technologies and management that make it possible to produce larger volumes, such as using protected systems, with more profitable cultivation and a higher-quality end product. This study aimed to analyze the production and quality of tomato fruit as a function of stem management and pot volume per plant. The experiment was conducted from April to October 2022 in a protected environment at Piccolo Dulce tomatoes^®, in São Miguel do Iguaçu-PR. The experimental design used was randomized blocks in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme containing 4 repetitions, with 3 pots per repetition. The first factor consisted of the volume of the pot (5 and 8 L). The second factor corresponded to the number of tomato stems (1, 2, 3, and 4). For the morphometric characteristics of the plant and fruit, plant height (m), number of normal fruits, number of non-commercial fruits, longitudinal fruit diameter (cm), transverse fruit diameter (cm), and yield (kg) per plant were evaluated. Soluble solids (SS), pH, titratable acidity (TA), and ratio were determined to analyze the fruit's chemical characteristics. The size of the pot and the number of stems did not influence the characteristics of the cherry tomato fruit, and 5-liter pots with 4 stems per plant are recommended.