PRODUCCIÓN DE TOMATE EN INVERNADERO CON COMPOSTA Y VERMICOMPOSTA COMO SUSTRATO

Summary

The organic production of food is an alternative for consumers that prefer food free of pesticides, synthetic
fertilisers, and with a high nutritional value. The purpose of this study was to evaluate substrates prepared with
mixtures of compost and vermicompost with sand, at various levels, under greenhouse conditions. The tomato hybrid
SUN-7705 (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) was analized in four substrates that included compost and vermicompost
mixed at three different proportions (100, 75 y 50 %). The treatments were distributed in a completely randomised
design with a factorial arrangement of 4x3 and five replicates. The greatest average yield (39.811 t ha) was obtained with the compost generated by decomposing bovine manure, corn stover (Zea mays L.), elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumacher) and black earth (CEMZT) at 75% + sand, and with the vermicompost generated by manure, bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) and black earth (VEPT) at 100 and 50% + sand. This yield was greater than that recorded for organic tomato production in the field, without affecting the quality of the fruit.