Winter Greenhouse Tomato Cultivation: Matching Leaf Pruning and Supplementary Lighting for Improved Yield and Precocity

Solar radiation entering a high-wire tomato greenhouse is mostly intercepted by the top of crop canopy, while role lower leaves diminishes with age, turning them into sink organs rather than sources. Accordingly, defoliation basal widely applied agronomic practice in cultivation management. However, recent increase application supplemental light emitting diode (LED) lighting for high-density production may affect leaves, promoting their source fruit development and growth. The present research aims to explore supplementary LED on Solanum lycopersicum cv. Siranzo Mediterranean area during cold season combination two regimes defoliation. factors consisted early removal (R) right under developing truss before stage non-removal (NR) entire cycle. an artificial treatment red blue diodes 16 h d−1 (h 8-00) intensity 180 µmol s−1 m−2 (RB) control cultivated natural only (CK). results demonstrated great effect light, which increased total yield (+118%), favoring setting (+46%) faster ripening (+60%) regardless regimes, although energy prices hinder economic viability technology. Concerning quality, significantly reduced soluble solid content, it acidity when combined light.