Summary
This factorial greenhouse experiment evaluated the combined effects of cultivation system (soil versus soilless cocopeat-perlite medium) and three nutrient solutions (Hoagland, Hochmat, Shan) on tomato plant growth and fruit quality. Soilless cultivation significantly enhanced vegetative and reproductive characteristics, photosynthetic pigment content, and fruit quality traits including colour parameters and vitamin C. Hoagland nutrient solution consistently outperformed the other solutions, with soilless cultivation using Hoagland producing the most favourable outcomes for both yield and fruit quality.
Regional applicability
This research was conducted in Iran under greenhouse conditions and may have limited direct transferability to outdoor or field-scale UK tomato production systems, which typically operate under different climate, light, and pest pressure regimes. However, the findings on nutrient solution formulation and soilless substrate performance are relevant to UK protected cropping systems, particularly commercial greenhouse tomato production, where soilless cultivation is increasingly adopted.
Key measures
Plant height, number of nodes, flowers and fruits, leaf area, shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, stem diameter, fruit diameter, photosynthetic pigments, fruit colour (a*, b*, L*, Hue angle, chroma), total soluble solids (TSS), vitamin C content, yield
Outcomes reported
The study compared growth, yield, and fruit quality characteristics of tomato plants cultivated in soil versus soilless systems with three different nutrient solutions (Hoagland, Hochmat, and Shan). Key measurements included vegetative traits (plant height, leaf area, shoot and root biomass), reproductive traits (flower and fruit number, yield), photosynthetic pigments, and fruit quality parameters (colour components, total soluble solids, vitamin C content).
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