Influence of Growing Substrates on the Production Potential and Post-Harvest Storage Capacity of Tomato Fruits from the Buzau 1600 Variety

This study investigated the influence of various growing substrates on the dry matter and total sugar content of Buzau 1600 tomato fruits, a variety developed at the Buzau Vegetable Research Station and preserved at the Buzau Plant Genetic Resources Bank, Romania. The substrates tested included V1 (Control - Coco peat), V2 (Perlite 2mm), V3 (Perlite 2mm + peat), V4 (Perlite 4mm), V5 (Perlite 4mm + peat), V6 (Perlite 5mm), and V7 (Perlite 5mm + peat). The study further evaluated the effects of a 10-day storage period at 10°C on the fruits grown in V1, V4, V5, V6, and V7 substrates. Results showed that fruits from the V1 (Control - Coco peat) substrate retained more water and had the lowest dry matter content (6.83%), likely due to the higher water retention capacity of peat. In contrast, fruits grown on V4 (Perlite 4mm) and V6 (Perlite 5mm) had a significantly higher dry matter content (7.40% and 7.39%, respectively), indicating better water drainage and aeration in perlite. Mixed substrates (V3 and V5) combining perlite and peat provided an optimal balance between moisture retention and aeration, with V3 (Perlite 2mm + peat) exhibiting the highest dry matter content (7.47%). For total sugar content, fruits from V6 (Perlite 5mm) displayed the highest values at harvest (3.36%), which were well-maintained after storage (3.25%). The sugar-to-acidity ratio was also enhanced in mixed perlite and peat substrates, particularly in V3 (Perlite 2mm + peat), which achieved the highest sugar/acid balance, making the fruits sweeter compared to those grown in the control substrate. Overall, the study concluded that the combination of perlite and peat, particularly in the V3 and V5 treatments, significantly improved fruit quality in terms of dry matter content, sugar content, and sugar-to-acidity ratio, while perlite alone (V6) demonstrated superior sugar retention after storage.