Tomato and sweet pepper growth and yield as influenced by greenhouse structural design

Abstract

Greenhouse production is a technology that many growers in Uganda are adopting to produce horticultural products like vegetables but most especially flowers due to the benefits associated with greenhouse production like year-round production, proper control of pests and diseases but most especially increased quantity and quality of yields. As a result, many growers are purchasing greenhouses from various companies. Some greenhouse buyers take up huge loans so as to produce crops like tomatoes, sweet pepper and even flowers in greenhouse. Many have ended up buying greenhouses with designs that are not appropriate for production of these crops especially vegetables in Uganda. They often realize low profits due to reduced quality and quantity of the yields they produce that cannot meet the market standards. Growth and yield of tomato and sweet pepper plants growing in five greenhouses with varying design specifications were evaluated over a period of seven weeks. Data was collected on leaf length and leaf width, length of top three internodes, fruit number, and fruit diameter. The relative growth rate of these parameters was also collected. Results show significant differences in .1) Average plant leaf area .2) Average internode length 3) Average fruit diameter and 4) Average fruit number relative growth rate except Average leaf number relative growth rate. It is therefore, recommended that growers in Central region of Uganda purchase greenhouses with the Quonset design as they allow light transmission into the greenhouse therefore plants will receive maximum light required for proper growth and development