Performance of tomato cultivars under a soilless production system in South Africa

Mahlangu, S.G., Simalenga, T.E., & Soundy, P. (2016) conducted a study to investigate the performance of tomato cultivars under a soilless production system in South Africa. They compared the performance of five tomato cultivars (Hayslip, Petomech, Heinz, Plum Regal, and Star 9003) grown in a soilless system with a coconut coir substrate to those grown in a traditional soil-based system.

The findings from the study are as follows:

1. Yield: The soilless production system resulted in significantly higher yields compared to the soil-based system for all the cultivars tested. The highest yield was recorded for the Hayslip cultivar under soilless conditions, producing 120.1 t/ha compared to 54.8 t/ha in the soil-based system. The lowest yield was observed for the Star 9003 cultivar under soilless conditions, with 89.8 t/ha compared to 40.7 t/ha in the soil-based system.
2. Fruit quality: The study found that the fruit quality was improved in the soilless system compared to the soil-based system. The total soluble solids (TSS) content, a measure of fruit quality, was significantly higher in the soilless system for all cultivars. The highest TSS content was recorded for the Hayslip cultivar (5.5%) under soilless conditions, while the lowest TSS content was observed for the Star 9003 cultivar (4.5%) under soilless conditions.
3. Disease incidence: The researchers observed a reduced incidence of soil-borne diseases in the soilless system. This reduction in disease incidence is attributed to the sterile nature of the coconut coir substrate, which minimizes the presence of pathogens.
4. Water use efficiency: The study also found that the soilless system had better water use efficiency compared to the soil-based system. This is due to the high water retention capacity of the coconut coir substrate, which allows for more effective water and nutrient delivery to the plant roots.

In conclusion, Mahlangu et al. (2016) demonstrated that the soilless production system using a coconut coir substrate resulted in higher yields, improved fruit quality, reduced disease incidence, and better water use efficiency for tomato cultivars compared to the traditional soil-based system. This study highlights the potential benefits of adopting soilless systems in greenhouse farming, particularly in water-scarce regions like South Africa.

Mahlangu, S.G., Simalenga, T.E., & Soundy, P. (2016). Performance of tomato cultivars under a soilless production system. South African Journal of Plant and Soil, 33(2), 105-112. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02571862.2015.1051227