Yield and quality of tomato grown in a hydroponic system, with different planting densities and number of bunches per plant

Obtaining a high yield of good quality fruits is one of the main challenges of the tomato crop. The enhancement in plant density promotes a reduction in the fruit fresh mass and an increase the yield per area. On the other hand, commercialization parameters take into account number and fresh mass of fruits. This study aimed at evaluating the yield and fruit quality of indeterminate growth hybrid tomato (Rebeca), cultivated in a hydroponic system, with different planting densities and number of bunches per plant. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions, in a sub-irrigation system containing expanded clay as substrate. A split-plot randomized block design, with three replications, was used. In the plots, four planting densities (11.1 plants m(-2), 8.3 plants m(-2), 6.6 plants m(-2) and 5.5 plants m(-2)) were allocated and, in the subplots, the number of bunches per plant (one or two). The total yield was influenced by the interaction planting density x number of bunches per plant. The treatment that allowed the highest yield was 11.1 plants m-2 with two bunches, with 22.61 kg m(-2) or 226.1 t ha(-1), in a crop cycle of 134 days. The observed variations for the nutrient contents of leaves and fruits of tomato plants with one or two bunches, at densities of 5.5-11.1 plants m(-2), do not compromise the fruit quality nor influence the production of tradable fruits, using the hydroponic system.