TECHNIQUES OF COMPANION PLANTING FOR IMPROVING FRUIT QUALITY AND THE PROTECTION AGAINST DISEASES AND PESTS IN TOMATO CULTURE

The crop association in the vegetable gardens should be performed considering the effects they will produce and that some plants deliver higher yields, are tastier and are more resistant to diseases and pests, depending on the plants in their vicinity. Determining the compatibility of the vegetable plants provides a decrease of the diseases attack and a qualitative and more stable production. The association of tomatoes with aromatic herbs, medicinal plants or vegetables pertaining to botanical families indicates the beneficial influence that some species exert in decreasing the pests attack and also the influence on the harvested fruits quality. The attraction of the beneficial fauna due to the presence of flowering plants within the crop and the association with repellent plants may diminish the incidence of pest attack. The presence of aromatic plants like coriander and basil resulted in attracting pollinators and confusing tomato crop specific pests. The presence of peas in catch crop led to a better management of the existing resources in the soil and also provided a production increase of 20%. Use of a large number of vegetables species, aromatic and medicinal flowers created the circumstances of a balanced culture system in which the pests were kept below the harm threshold. This study aims to examine both the inter and intraspecific relations between tomato plants and the associated species, and how they influence the physiological processes and also the yield quality and quantity.