The Influence of Grafting and Biostimulators on the Yield and Fruit Quality of Greenhouse Tomato CV. (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) Grown in the Field

Four tomato cultivars Macarena F¹, Faustine F¹, Cathy F¹ and Fanny F¹ were used in the study. Seeds were sown at the end of March and transplants were grown in a greenhouse. The plants were grafted on Maxifort F¹ rootstock on April 5, 6 and 21 in the years 2006, 2007, 2008 respectively without the use of biostimulators. In the case of the other combinations each year the following treatments with biostimulators were performed: watering with Goteo 0.1% solution (twice - 4 and 2 weeks before planting and three times after planting at three-week intervals), spraying with BM 86 0.1% solution (four times every three weeks starting at the blooming of first cluster). In the control combination plants were neither-nor grafted or treated with biostimulators. Plants were planted in the field at 70×100 cm spacing - 20 plants per plot. For the ripe fruits analyses the following parameters were determined: dry matter, total sugars, vitamin C, carotenoids and macroelements: N, P, K, Ca.

A higher total and marketable yield was obtained after grafting and Goteo treatments. There was a significant influence of grafting and the application of the biostimulators on the content of dry matter and total sugars, however, the highest content of vitamin C and carotenoids were obtained in the control. There was a slight increase of the content of nitrates and calcium in the fruit in the case of grafting and Goteo biostimulator watering treatments, whereas the highest content of potassium in the fruit was obtained in plants treated with BM 86 and phosphorus in the fruits from control combination plants.