Can Soil Cover Affect the Performance, Yield, and Quality of Creeping Fresh Market Tomato Hybrids?

Soil cover is a major factor in the cultivation of creeping tomatoes, especially for in natura consumption. This study aimed to determine the combination of a suitable tomato hybrid and soil cover, resulting in superior production performance and quality attributes of tomato fruits. Tomato hybrids (Fascinio and Thaise) were cultivated on five soil cover types (uncovered soil, plastic mulch, sorghum, Sudan grass, and pearl millet). The data were submitted to a principal component analysis (PCA), considering all the variables, through Biplot graphical analysis. A Pearson correlation analysis was performed at the 5% significance level. For biomass production, pearl millet and Sudan grass were distinguished from the other soil covers, showing lower decomposition rates and, consequently, longer half-lives. Covering with plastic mulch provided higher total (111 t ha(-1)) and commercial (74.4 t ha(-1)) yields, regardless of the analyzed hybrid. According to the PCA, soil cover management influences the production and quality of tomato fruits, except for chemical and post-harvest characteristics, and maintains ideal levels for commercialization for all treatments. The Fascinio hybrid presented better production attributes, higher total and commercial fruit production per plant as well as fruits with larger sizes, especially when grown in plastic mulch cover. The Fascinio hybrid also presented fruits with higher levels of bioactive compounds (lycopene and beta-carotene).