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Tomato variety trials for productivity and quality in organic hoop house versus open field management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2017

G.K. Healy
Affiliation:
Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
B.J. Emerson
Affiliation:
Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
J.C. Dawson*
Affiliation:
Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
*
*Corresponding author: dawson@hort.wisc.edu

Abstract

Tomatoes are a profitable direct-market crop for diversified Midwestern farmers. Unfortunately, many tomatoes with the flavor and quality characteristics consumers desire (such as heirloom varieties) lack agronomic traits important to organic farmers. Hoop-house production offers potentially higher yields and quality than field-grown tomatoes, and has become a popular option for organic farmers. This study compares 19 varieties of tomatoes in both organic hoop house and field conditions, to identify high-performing varieties for future plant breeding, and to characterize the effect of hoop houses on productivity and quality traits. We found that tomatoes grown in a hoop house had significantly higher yield, lower disease severity and higher °Brix (soluble sugars) than those grown in an adjacent field; and that management (hoop house versus field) had significantly more influence over those traits than other variables (variety, market class or year). This lack of varietal differences between management systems will simplify breeding efforts aimed at introducing varieties for hoop house production.

Type
Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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