The Effect of Electrical Conductivity on Fruit Growth Pattern in Hydroponically Grown Tomatoes

Summary

Osmotic stress enhances fruit quality, including the dry matter content, in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.). This study aimed at providing further insight into the precision control of fruit yield and quality on the long-term moderate osmotic stress conditions in tomato fruit production. We compared the growth pattern between fruits of two cultivars, typical Japanese and Dutch cultivars, under two different nutrient concentrations (2.3 and 5.0 dS·m−1) to understand the effect of electrical conductivity (EC) on dry mass and water content of fruits. The experiment was performed with a rockwool bag culture system in a controlled greenhouse. Increasing EC resulted in an approximately 20% decrease in fruit yield and a 0.5–1% increase in fruit dry matter content in both cultivars. This yield