Performance of cherry tomato genotypes under protected cultivation for year-round production

Abstract:

Cherry tomato cultivation in southeastern Spain expanded rapidly in the early 1990s, building on the region\'s established greenhouse infrastructure, and over the last decade has grown from a niche export crop into a major domestic retail item. This research evaluated four cherry tomato genotypes — CT-AR-12, CT-HR-08, CT-BR-21, and CT-PL-05 — for year-round yield, quality, and disease incidence under a naturally ventilated polyhouse located at the University of Almeria Experimental Farm, Almeria, during the January 2022 to December 2023 cropping cycle. Plants were trained on a single-stem high-wire system at a density of 2.8 plants/m², with drip fertigation supplying a balanced NPK schedule. CT-BR-21 produced the highest cumulative yield at 14.03 kg/plant over the two-year window, followed by CT-AR-12 at 12.52 kg/plant. Fruit brix was highest in CT-BR-21 (7.8 °Brix) and CT-PL-05 (7.4 °Brix), with CT-HR-08 showing the smallest fruit size but the most uniform harvest curve. Disease incidence of tomato leaf curl virus was lowest in CT-BR-21 (4.2%) and highest in CT-HR-08 (18.6%). The findings support CT-BR-21 as the most suitable genotype for year-round protected cultivation in the semi-arid zone of southeastern Spain, with CT-PL-05 as a complementary niche variety for premium-quality retail.