Agroecological management strategies influence growth, chlorophyll content, and reproductive performance of tomato plants under open-field and greenhouse conditions

Abstract

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a crop of high agricultural importance, whose performance in agroecological systems depends on the interaction between management strategies and environmental conditions. This study aimed to evaluate vegetative growth, relative chlorophyll content, and reproductive performance of tomato plants subjected to different agroecological management strategies under open-field and greenhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with five treatments: control, Trichoderma asperellum, silicon, sulfur, and an integrated protocol, with five replications in each cultivation system. Plant height, stem diameter, SPAD index, flowering, fruiting, and qualitative harvest observations were evaluated. The results showed that the integrated protocol promoted greater vegetative vigor, higher chlorophyll content, and improved reproductive performance in both cultivation environments. Open-field conditions favored vegetative growth, whereas the greenhouse environment imposed microclimatic limitations, although fruits harvested under protected conditions showed better quality. It is concluded that integrated agroecological management strategies contribute to greater physiological and reproductive stability of tomato plants, with their effectiveness being strongly influenced by the cultivation environment.