PERFORMANCE OF HYBRIDS OF TOMATO UNDER DRIP IRRIGATION IN SOUTHERN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article deals with the advantages o f tomato crop, highlights the significance o f scientifically based selection o f varieties and hybrids in cultivation technology, presents the analysis o f the latest research and publications on the productivity o f modern genotypes from various selection companies in different enterprises in Ukraine. The article gives the results o f experimental studies conducted with tomato hybrids o f middle (Leader F1, Asterix F1) and late (SHD 277 F1) ripening under conditions o f drip irrigation on southern black soils o f PRAE agricultural company «Rodnichok», Snigurivskiy district, Mykolayiv region in 2011-2013.In the years o f research the minimum level o f yielding capacity was formed by the tomato hybrid o f middle ripening Asterix F1. The tomato hybrid Leader F1 was characterized by higher yields. The article provides a comparative assessment o f the yielding data o f the above mentioned hybrids.Due to a longer growing season the highest yield o f tomato fruit was formed by the hybrid SHD 277 F1. The maximum difference between the productivity level o f all tomato hybrids cultivated in the experiment was observed in 2013, which was connected with the most favorable weather conditions prevailing during the growing season in comparison with all the years o f research.The late ripening hybrid SHD 277 F1 had the highest content o f dry matter in tomato fruit in all the years o f research. The middle ripening hybrids had much less quality parameter. In the group o f middle ripening hybrids we observed a clear regularity: regardless o f the year o f growing the tomato hybrid Asterix F1 was characterized by somewhat higher content o f dry matter in tomato fruit. However, due to the higher yielding capacity the middle ripening hybrid Leader F1 provided a larger amount o f dry matter per hectare o f tomato crops.It is proved that under conditions o f drip irrigation on the black soils in southern Ukraine the middle ripening tomato hybrid Leader F1 has the highest yielding capacity (on average 93.7 t/ha during 3 years), and this hybrid provides the amount o f dry matter o f 4.6 t per hectare. The late ripening tomato hybrid SHD 277 F1 is able to provide the yielding capacity o f112. 6 t per ha (an average parameter during the three years o f research). The maximum capacity is observed in the years o f favorable weather conditions (2013 - 128.5 t/ha).