Potential Use of Postharvest Tomato Wastes as a Growing Media in Soilless Culture

Abstract

Recycling postharvest tomato wastes will reduce the carbon footprints of greenhouse facilities. This study investigated the effects of tomato postharvest waste as a growing medium (TSW; tomato stalk waste and PTSW; pretreated tomato stalk waste) in soilless culture on tomato growth, development, yield and quality. Tomato wastes were compared with cocopeat and peat-perlite mixture media and economic analyses were made for potential use of tomato waste as a growing medium. The highest stomatal conductance (138.7 mmol m⁻² s⁻¹), average fruit weight (86.7 g), yield (3.96 kg plant⁻¹) and soluble solids content (SSC; 4.8%) values were obtained from the cocopeat medium. PTSW, cocopeat and peat + perlite media yielded similar stomatal conductance values. The best fruit skin color values (hue; 0.54) were obtained from peat + perlite medium. The highest titratable acidity (4.9 g citric acid 100 mL⁻¹) and vitamin C (21.7 mg 100 g⁻¹) values were obtained from the TSW medium. PTSW (Pretreated tomato waste) had similar yield and quality traits with commercial growing media. It was concluded that PTSW was better than other growing media.

Acknowledgments

Thanks are extended to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeki GOKALP (a notarized-certified English translator and expert in Biosystems Engineering) for his critical English review of the manuscript.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors are grateful for the support of Ondokuz Mayıs University Scientific Research Council (Project No: PYO. ZRT. 1904.19.006).