Resumo

PONCE VALERIO, Juan José et al. Pruning and plant density in three varieties of husk tomato (Physalis ixocarpa Brot. ex Horm.) grown under greenhouse conditions. Rev. Chapingo Ser.Hortic [online]. 2012, vol.18, n.3, pp.325-332. ISSN 2007-4034.  https://doi.org/10.5154/r.rchsh.2010.08.028.

Husk tomato is a fruit vegetable that is currently not grown intensively in greenhouse conditions due to the lack of an appropriate technology package. However, previous greenhouse experience has shown that, in free growth, fruit production is low and vegetative development is high. Assuming that a handling scheme based on pruning and population densities can increase yield, this experiment was carried out to generate a production system for husk tomato grown hydroponically under greenhouse conditions. The effect on crop production of three pruning variants (fourth internode, sixth internode and without pruning) and three population densities (5, 10 and 18 plants·m^-2) was studied in three husk tomato varieties (Population 3, Tamazula SM2 and Tecámac Population) grown hydroponically under greenhouses conditions, in order to generate information regarding crop handling in a protected environment. The experiment took place during the 2004 summer-autumn cycle in the Experimental Field at the Universidad Autónoma Chapingo in Chapingo, Mexico, with a randomized block design with four replications under a split-plot arrangement. The highest yield per plant and fruit size was obtained in the Tecámac Population. Pruning did not affect crop production, but as population density increased so did yield, so that 18 plants·m^-2 gave the highest yield (1.06 kg·m^-2).

Palavras-chave : Yield; hydroponic system; greenhouse; tomatillo.