First observation on tomato plant growth in an innovative soilless sustainable cultivation system in south of Italy

The second largest area (9,000 ha) for greenhouse horticultural productions in Europe is allocated in the south of Italy. Tomato is the crop for which greenhouse cultivation is of greatest importance. In greenhouses, it can be cultivated on the soil or in soilless cultivation systems, utilizing various types of substrates. Other methods that do not require a substrate, including aeroponic, nutrient film technique (NFT) and floating are still not widespread nowadays. By using these cultivation systems it’s possible to reduce water and nutrient consumption. This study aims to evaluate tomato plant performances and water and nutrient saving in an innovative (closed-loop) cultivation system called “agriponic”, tested inside a 1,200 m² greenhouse in the south of Italy. This system combines aeroponic and NFT technique and was developed especially for cherry tomato production. Tomato plants were allocated (1.5 plants m^-2) above closed polystyrene channels where the roots, partially suspended, were sprayed with a fertigation solution. Greenhouse climatic parameters and water and nutrients inputs were recorded during the trial. Plant growth, phenology and leaf gas exchange data were collected for the first three months. Agriponic slowed plant growth with respect to soil system. This behavior was confirmed by photosynthetic values, but no differences were observed in the dates of occurrence of phenology stages between the two systems. First truss harvest, carried out at 122 DAT, evidenced a higher tomato yield in agriponic compared to soil system. A relevant reduction in the amount of water and nutrient supplied to plants was observed with respect to soil system. First observation on agriponic evidenced good tomato production performance and low input request, indicating a higher environmental sustainability of the system.