Quality of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Changes under Different Cover Crops, Soil Tillage and Nitrogen Fertilization Management

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interaction effects of winter cover crops (hairy vetch, subclover and black oat) and a bare soil, cover crop biomass management (incorporated into the soil or left on the soil surface as death mulch), and nitrogen (N) fertilization level (0, 75 and 150 kg ha−1 of N) on fruit yield and fruit quality parameters of processing tomato. Hairy vetch residues increased the yield (+57%), color index (+8%) and sugar/acidity ratio (+7%) of marketable tomato fruits compared to bare soil regardless of cover crop biomass management. Black oat residues determined a poor marketable yield, especially in tilled soil (on average, −26%, compared to bare soil) and they had a tendentially negative effect on some parameters of tomato quality (high firmness and titratable acidity, low color index and pH). Subclover residues, when incorporated into the soil, determined similar marketable fruit yield to bare soil, although they had a more favorable effect on the color parameters of tomato fruits. The increasing of the N fertilization level from 0 kg ha−1 of N to 150 kg ha−1 of N always positively influenced the tomato yield and fruit characteristics. The results suggest that hairy vetch, compared to other cover crops, had a positive influence on tomatoes and it could be part of an environmentally friendly management package for sustainable tomato cultivation in Mediterranean conditions.

Nitrogen Application Can Be Reduced without Affecting Carotenoid Content, Maturation, Shelf Life and Yield of Greenhouse Tomatoes

“…Application of a low nitrogen dose significantly decreased the colour index a* (redness of hue) compared with the rest of the nitrogen doses during postharvest storage. Massantini et al [ 43 ] recorded an increase in the values of L* (lightness of colour intensity), b* (yellowness of hue) and a*, as well as a decrease in the a*/b* ratio with increasing nitrogen dose. The overall effect of nitrogen on the colour index a* was found to be significant.…”

“…Applications of nitrogen levels five times above the standard dose increased the colour index a* compared to standard and unfertilized treatments [ 37 ]. Increasing nitrogen dose resulted in an increase in a* and the a*/b* ratio, while L* (lightness) decreased [ 43 ].…”

Postharvest Quality and Storability of Organically versus Conventionally Grown Tomatoes: A Comparative Approach

“…Turoni SRL, Forli, Italy). Three fruits were randomly selected from each category, and measurements were taken in triplicates on the equatorial plane of the fruit and expressed in maximum force (N) to penetrate the fruit pulp [12]. Instrumental color was measured using Konica Minolta color reader CR-10 (Minolta Co. Ltd., Osaka, Japan) for the estimation of L* (lightness), a* (redness to greenness), b* (yellowness to blueness), Chroma value, and hue angle [13].…”

A Simple and Effective Bioassay Method Suitable to Comparative In Vitro Study of Tomato Salt Tolerance at Early Development Stages

“…Globally, tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) are the second most important vegetable crops after potatoes and are used as a valuable source of vitamins and lycopene in fresh or processed tomato products [1,2]. In 2019, the world's total tomato fruit production was approximately 180.7 million tons, which accounts for 1.7% (3.0 million tons) from Russia.…”