The Impact of Plastic Covers on the Quantitative and Qualitative Indicators of Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) Production in the Open Field

Abstract

This 2022 study at the Kosovo Agricultural Institute in Peja evaluated innovative tomato cultivation techniques in open-field vegetable production. Five covering methods, including small plastic tunnels with black or transparent plastic mulching, were compared against traditional practices. Results revealed that tunnel variants with plastic mulching demonstrated earlier flowering, fruiting, and harvesting, accelerating early production by 3 to 12 days. Statistical analyses showed significant improvements in total tomato production, emphasizing the techniques' effectiveness in enhancing productivity, resource efficiency, and weed control. Notably, small tunnels with mulching proved beneficial, with a 26.9% and 28.3% increase in production for black and transparent plastic mulch, respectively. The study suggests future research directions, including long-term sustainability assessments across different tomato varieties. In conclusion, soil mulching and small tunnels are crucial techniques in vegetable cultivation, contributing to increased total production, early production, and resource savings in controlled environment agriculture.

Keywords

• tomato cultivation
• plastic mulching
• small tunnels
• controlled environment agriculture
• resource efficiency