Postharvest Quality and Safety of Potted Greenhouse Tomato Grown on Forest Soil-Biosolids substrate,Blended with NPK Fertilizer

Studies on the effects of biosolids(BS)amended substrate on food quality and safety in tomato production have not been adequately addressed.The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of composted BS and NPK fertilizer on post-harvest quality and safety of potted greenhouse tomato Solanum lycopersicum L.Potted tomatoes"Maxim F1"were grown in a randomized complete block design with four replications.Inorganic fertilizer NPK(17:17:17) fertilizer was applied at 0,100 kg ha^(-1)(5g per pot)and 200 kg ha^(-1);(10g per pot),BS was applied at 0%,10%,20%,30%,and 40%v/v,in all possible combinations.Tomato were harvested and analyzed for ascorbic acid,chlorophylls,carotenoids and total phenolic compounds;weight loss,fruit firmness,titratable acidity and total soluble solids,as well as heavy metals and microbial contaminants.Results revealed that tomato fruit at 10%BS in combination with NPK fertilizer at 100 kg ha^(-1) had the highestβ-carotene(6.1 mg 100 g^(-1)),lycopene(26.1 mg 100 g^(-1)),ascorbic acids(128.0 mg 100 g^(-1)),total phenolic acids(13.2 mg 100 g^(-1)),total soluble solids(17%).However,the same rates produced tomato fruit with lower titratable acidity(2.2%)and had heavy metal residues within the permissible level,according to International EPA standards on biosolids utilization for food crops production.Similarly,no trace of pathogenic bacteria;Salmonella,Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus was observed on the harvested tomato.This study reveals at BS 10% with NPK fertilizer at 100 kg ha^(-1) substrate as a better option of plant nutrient source for quality and safe greenhouse tomato production.

Field performance of alternate wetting and drying furrow irrigation on tomato crop growth, yield, water use efficiency, quality and profitability

Sustainable irrigation method is now essential for adaptation and adoption in the areas where water resources are limited. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to test the performance of alternate wetting and drying furrow irrigation（AWDFI） on crop growth, yield, water use efficiency（WUE）, fruit quality and profitability analysis of tomato. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with six treatments replicated thrice during the dry seasons of 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Irrigation water was applied through three ways of furrow： AWDFI, fixed wetting and drying furrow irrigation（FWDFI） and traditional（every） furrow irrigation（TFI）. Each irrigation method was divided into two levels： irrigation up to 100 and 80% field capacity（FC）. Results showed that plant biomass（dry matter） and marketable fruit yield of tomato did not differ significantly between the treatments of AWDFI and TFI, but significant difference was observed in AWDFI and in TFI compared to FWDFI at same irrigation level. AWDFI saved irrigation water by 35 to 38% for the irrigation levels up to 80 and 100% FC, compared to the TFI, respectively. AWDFI improved WUE by around 37 to 40% compared to TFI when irrigated with 100 and 80% FC, respectively. Fruit quality（total soluble solids and pulp） was found greater in AWDFI than in TFI. Net return from AWDFI technique was found nearly similar compared to TFI and more than FWDFI. The benefit cost ratio was viewed higher in AWDFI than in TFI and FWDFI by 2.8, 8.7 and 11, 10.4% when irrigation water was applied up to 100 and 80% FC, respectively. Unit production cost was obtained lower in AWDFI compared to TFI and FWDFI. However, AWDFI is a useful water-saving furrow irrigation technique which may resolve as an alternative choice compared with TFI in the areas where available water and supply methods are limited to irrigation.