Growth and yield performance of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Linn.) genotypes under protected and conventional cultivation systems

Protected cultivation is a production system that ensures a continuous vegetable industry in the Philippines. The University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) in Claveria, Misamis Oriental, Philippines conducted a study evaluating the performance of different fresh market tomato genotypes grown under different cropping environments. This study consisted of two cultivation systems (protected cultivation and conventional or open field cultivation) and seven genotypes (‘AVTO 1173’, ‘AVTO 1004’, ‘Harabas’, ‘Athena’, ‘Sakata’, ‘Atlas’, and ‘Diamante’). The study was a factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD). Results show that tomato plants grown under a protected structure had the highest yield of 17.29 t ha^‑1 compared to those in the open field system, producing only 11.28 t ha^‑1. This study found the fresh market tomato ‘AVTO 1173’, produced the highest yield of 18.67 t ha^‑1. That cultivar is a potential substitute for presently used commercial hybrid genotypes. Plants under the protected cropping systems showed a significantly lower diseases infestation (32.62%) compared to the open field system (80.95%). This study provides scientific evidence for farmers to engage in advanced production systems. The protected cropping systems evaluated to enhance their ability to compete in today’s modern agricultural marketing system.