The effect of covering material on the yield, quality and chemical composition of greenhouse grown tomato fruit.

J Sci Food Agric. 2018 Dec 3. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.9519. [Epub ahead of print] Petropoulos SA1, Fernandes Â2, Katsoulas N3, Barros L2, Ferreira ICFR2. Author information 1 Laboratory of Vegetable Production, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 N. Ionia, Magnissia Greece. 2 Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253, Bragança, Portugal. 3 Laboratory of Agricultural Constructions and Environmental Control, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 N. Ionia, Magnissia Greece. Abstract BACKGROUND: During the last decades, greenhouse technology for horticultural crops has focused on retaining optimum conditions within the greenhouse environment that could allow to finding the compromise between maximum yields and minimum production costs. The aim of the present manuscript was to evaluate the effect of three greenhouse covering materials and five harvesting dates on the yield and quality parameters of hydroponically produced tomato fruit, as well as on energy consumption. RESULTS: Plants had a higher growth rate at early stages for S-PE cover material, while differences were minimized at later stages. Tocopherols content was the highest for ID-PE material and harvesting later than 170 days after transplanting (DAT), while sugars content (fructose and glucose) was the highest for S-PE material and 157 DAT. Organic acids content was the highest at early harvestings, especially for 7-PE and S-PE cover materials, while it exhibited decreasing trends at later harvesting dates. Antioxidant properties showed a varied response to cover materials and harvesting dates, while β-carotene, carotenoids, and chlorophylls were the highest for 7-PE material. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the results showed that both cover materials and harvesting date may affect significantly tomato fruit quality, especially sugars and organic acids contents which are associated with fruit taste, as well as tocopherols which contribute to antioxidant properties and pigments that are associated with fruit ripening and earliness of marketable maturity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. KEYWORDS: Solanum lycopersicum L.; antioxidant activity; carotenoids; cover materials; double layer films; tomato fruit PMID: 30511352 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.9519