Can Soil Cover Affect the Performance, Yield, and Quality of Creeping Fresh Market Tomato Hybrids?

Soil cover is a major factor in the cultivation of creeping tomatoes, especially for natura consumption. This study aimed to determine combination suitable tomato hybrid and soil cover, resulting superior production performance quality attributes fruits. Tomato hybrids (Fascínio Thaíse) were cultivated on five types (uncovered soil, plastic mulch, sorghum, Sudan grass, pearl millet). The data submitted principal component analysis (PCA), considering all variables, through Biplot graphical analysis. A Pearson correlation was performed at 5% significance level. For biomass production, millet grass distinguished from other covers, showing lower decomposition rates and, consequently, longer half-lives. Covering with mulch provided higher total (111 t ha−1) commercial (74.4 yields, regardless analyzed hybrid. According PCA, management influences fruits, except chemical post-harvest characteristics, maintains ideal levels commercialization treatments. Fascínio presented better attributes, fruit per plant as well fruits larger sizes, when grown cover. also bioactive compounds (lycopene β-carotene).