Effect of Organic Residues as Fertilizer on Postharvest Quality of Cherry Tomatoes

Abstract

Composting of domestic residues to replace cattle manure was evaluated as a fertilization option for the cherry tomato crop. Two sources of organic compounds (CO) were used to prepare compost piles: Domestic residues (DR) and bovine manure (BM), used in 5 proportions (CO1 = 15% DR + 15% BM, CO2 = 10% DR + 20% BM, CO3 = 20% DR + 10% BM, CO4 = 30% BM (control) and CO5 = 30% DR). To compost the compost piles, the organic waste (carbon source) was mixed with remnants of tree pruning (filler) from the urban cleaning service in a ratio of 1: 3. After 90 days, the compost from each matured pile was mixed with 1: 1 coconut fiber substrate and filled into 15 L plastic bags where the cherry tomato plants were grown. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using the experimental design of randomized blocks with 5 treatments and 5 replicates (6 fruits per sample). The organic fertilization in the proportions of manure and food residue did not provide statistically significant differences in soluble solids, total sugars, lycopene, βcarotene and micronutrients Zn, Fe, N and P in cherry tomato fruits. Fertilization with CO1 and CO2 increased AT, Mn and decreased the SS / AT, K and Ca ratio. There was no nutritional deficiency of tomatoes in any of the proportions of the organic residues studied.

An Intelligent Near-Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy Scheme for the Non-Destructive Testing of the Sugar Content in Cherry Tomato Fruit

“…The fruit has an excellent flavor, attractive color, and high lycopene content. It represents to the consumer advantages from nutritional and sensorial points of view [14]. According to the statistics from the FAO, the world's total output of tomatoes in 2012 was 1.6179 × 108 t. The yield of tomatoes in China reached 5 × 107 t in 2012, accounting for 31% of the world's total production [15].…”