Environmental conditions in relation to stress in cherry tomato fruits in two experimental Mediterranean greenhouses

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture Vol. 89; no. 5; pp. 735 - 742
• Main Authors: Rosales, Miguel A, Ríos, Juan J, Cervilla, Luis M, Rubio-Wilhelmi, María M, Blasco, Begoña, Ruiz, Juan M, Romero, Luis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 30.03.2009; Wiley; John Wiley and Sons, Limited
• Subjects: Agriculture; air temperature; antioxidant activity; ascorbate; ascorbate peroxidase; ascorbic acid; Biological and medical sciences; catalase; environmental stress; enzyme activity; Experiments; Food industries; Food science; Fruit and vegetable industries; fruit yield; fruits (plant anatomy); Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; greenhouse; greenhouse production; Greenhouses; heat stress; hydrogen peroxide; lipid peroxidation; plant stress; Solanum lycopersicum; Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme; Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum; solar radiation; superoxide dismutase; Tomatoes; vapor pressure; vapor pressure deficit; vegetable growing; environmental stress; Vegetables; Ascorbic acid; Cherry; Fruit; Hydrogen; Solanum lycopersicum; Vitamin; hydrogen peroxide; Tomato; Stress; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; ascorbate; Spermatophyta; Peroxides; Yield; Solanaceae; Greenhouse; Solanum; fruit yield
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.3500

BACKGROUND: Considering the economic importance of tomato and its nutritional benefits to human health, a study was conducted on how different environmental factors (temperature, solar radiation and vapour pressure deficit (VPD)) influence hydrogen peroxide detoxification and several stress indicators in cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Naomi) fruits grown in two experimental Mediterranean greenhouses of parral (low-technology) type and multispan (high-technology) type.RESULTS: Three fruit samplings were made at the beginning, middle and end of the fruit production period. Values of temperature, solar radiation and VPD peaked at the third sampling in both greenhouses, being higher in the parral-type greenhouse, while there was a reduction in market production at the third sampling. Peroxidation (malondialdehyde content and lipoxygenase activity) increased significantly at the third sampling, indicating the presence of oxidative stress caused by the rise in temperature, solar radiation and VPD. The ascorbate content, the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase and other stress indicators (proline and sucrose degradation) also increased at the third sampling.CONCLUSION: This study showed that conditions of higher environmental stress occurred at the third sampling and in the parral-type greenhouse, leading to the accumulation of ascorbic acid in cherry tomato fruits and therefore to higher nutritional quality.