Sustainable Transfer of Tomato Landraces to Modern Cropping Systems: The Effects of Environmental Conditions and Management Practices on Long-Shelf-Life Tomatoes

The individual effects of biotic and abiotic factors on tomatoes have been widely reported. However, under commercial conditions, multiple interactions between occur, masking or even changing the direction their in some cases. Here we report a comprehensive analysis preharvest affecting yield, quality (soluble solids content, fruit color, firmness), shelf-life long-shelf-life Mediterranean varieties tomatoes. We studied five genotypes 16 growing environments, including tunnel open-air systems suboptimal to excessive fertigation (22–142% crop evapotranspiration). results enabled us classify traits into three groups according importance contributions different types factors: mainly genotype (ripening earliness plus environment (yield, weight, water-use efficiency (WUE)), interaction (cracking, soluble shelf-life). Under similar management practices, conditions optimized yields, high doses improved yield marketability (firmness), but reduced (redness content). WUE was maximized low-input cropping (comparable traditional agrosystems), balance when adjusted requirements crop. Shelf-life negatively correlated with high-yielding day–night amplitude relative humidity strongly incidence cracking. present study sheds light practices tomato quality, provides basis which select better for novel group European landraces.