Survival, vegetative development, and reproductive response of tomato plants under integrated agroecological management strategies in open-field and greenhouse conditions

Resumo

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a crop of major agricultural importance whose performance in agroecological systems depends on the interaction between management strategies and environmental conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the vegetative growth, relative chlorophyll content, and reproductive performance of tomato plants subjected to different agroecological management strategies under both open-field and protected cultivation (greenhouse) conditions. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with five treatments: control, Trichoderma asperellum, silicon, sulfur, and an integrated management protocol, with five replicates in each cultivation environment. Plant height, stem diameter, SPAD index, flowering, fruit set, and qualitative harvest observations were assessed. The results indicated that the integrated management protocol promoted greater vegetative vigor, higher chlorophyll content, and improved reproductive performance in both cultivation systems. Open-field cultivation favored vegetative growth, whereas greenhouse conditions presented certain microclimatic limitations, although they resulted in better fruit quality at harvest. It can be concluded that integrated agroecological management strategies contribute to greater physiological and reproductive stability in tomato plants, with their effectiveness being influenced by the cultivation environment.