Quality of Cherry Tomato Fruits under Conditions of Water and Saline Stress

Tomato plants are a glycophyte species, characterized by being moderately sensitive to salinity, with negative effects on the development of plants, production and fruit quality under conditions of water and saline stress. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the quality of the cherry tomato fruits of nine elite introductions under conditions of water and saline stress. The experimental design was of subdivided plots, where the largest plot was comprised by the salinity level (2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 dS m-1) and the smallest plot was the substrate humidity level of 100%, 66% and 33%. Nine tomato introductions and a commercial control (Sweet Million) were randomly arranged within each condition, with 4 repetitions. The variables evaluated were the following: relationship of equatorial (ED) and polar diameters (ED / PD), fruit firmness (FF), number of locules (NLF), soluble solids (° brix), titratable acidity, and production per plant (PPP). High levels of salinity and water stress promote the increase of brix degrees in cherry tomato fruits, but production decreases as abiotic stress increases. The production limit under saline stress conditions was 5 dS m-1 of the materials evaluated. Elite introductions IAC 1686 and IAC 1688 were those that presented the best average productions per plant with 498 g and 428 g, respectively.