Philippine E-Journals

Production Performance of Salad Tomato Varieties Under Conventional Cultivation and the SemiTemperate Conditions of Benguet, Philippines

Amelia M. Kimeu

 

Abstract:

Tomato is an important vegetable and contributes to food security, income, and improved farmers' livelihoods worldwide. Tomatoes contain many health-promoting compounds and a nutritious part of a balanced diet. Over the last decade, consumers have become more aware of foods as a source of health benefits and their roles in preventing several chronic diseases. The study was conducted to evaluate, select and recommend specific varieties of salad-type tomato and to determine the economic benefits of growing salad tomato under a conventional production system at the HORTI Experimental Station of Benguet State University, La Trinidad, Benguet. The experiment consisted of 14 entries of salad tomato and laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Variety ‘Apollo’ was used as the check variety. 'Athena' variety was the earliest to bear flower at 23 days after transplanting. 'Astig', 'Makapuno', and 'Apollo', the check variety, which were significantly comparable at 28-30 days to flowering. All the entries evaluated produced 5 to 6 flowers per cluster. 'Discovery' variety had the longest and widest fruit. 'Marvel' had the highest total number of marketable fruits at 193.70, while the 'Makapuno' variety significantly had the highest fruit yield with 8.68 kg/5m2 plot. 'Victory' produced the highest total yield with 10.04 kg/plot and 'TM 03' variety recorded the highest sugar content with 12.86 0Brix. Tomato cultivars evaluated were observed to be mild to moderately resistant to late blight infection. 'Victory' can be considered profitable due to high ROI under La Trinidad, Benguet condition as a strategy for food security.