Nutritional Quality of Organic and Conventional Tomatoes

Abstract: Tomato crop was grown using organic manures and chemical fertilizers and the effect of organic farming on nutritional profile, quality characteristics, toxic parameters were studied. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with fifteen treatments consisting of four organic manure treatments of vermicompost (VC), poultry manure (PM), farm yard manure (FYM), cow dung (CD) and recommended dose of chemical fertilizers, i.e., conventional farming as control. Organically and conventionally grown tomato were analysed for their nutrient composition. Application of organic manures was found to be significantly influence the nutrient content (micro-nutrients, TSS, lycopene etc.) compared to conventional fertilizers application.

Reference: Shankar, K. Sreedevi; Sumathi, S.; Shankar, M.; et al. (2012). Comparison of nutritional quality of organically verses conventionally grown tomato. Indian Journal of Horticulture 69(1): 86-90.