Vermicompost management: An alternative to meet the water and nutritive demands of tomato under greenhouse conditions

Summary

This greenhouse trial evaluated four substrate mixtures of vermicompost and river sand at varying ratios for saladette tomato production. Five yield-determining variables showed highly significant differences among treatments (P≤0.01), with the 1:1 vermicompost-to-sand mixture (T2) achieving the highest yield at 50.29 t·ha⁻¹. The findings suggest vermicompost integration into growing media can meaningfully improve tomato productivity and fruit quality metrics by enhancing water retention and nutrient availability.

Regional applicability

The study was conducted in Mexico under controlled greenhouse conditions. The findings may have limited direct applicability to United Kingdom field conditions, though the vermicompost substrate approach could inform UK horticulture practice, particularly in protected cropping systems where substrate composition and water management are similarly critical.

Key measures

Number of fruits, number of locules, equatorial and polar diameters, pulp thickness, soluble solids, fruit weight, fruit yield; substrate nutritional elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn), organic matter, pH, water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, electrical conductivity

Outcomes reported

The study measured the effects of vermicompost and river sand mixtures on tomato growth, yield, and fruit quality characteristics under greenhouse conditions. Maximum yield of 50.29 t·ha⁻¹ was achieved with a 1:1 vermicompost to sand ratio.

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