Abstract

The development of production technologies, such as greenhouses, was highlighted in the growth of horticultural crops. However, these products are often offered without basic instructions to farmers who can generate financial losses. One outstanding production technology is substrate cultivation, which would be very useful in the cultivation of protected plants. Like this, in order to evaluate the effects of different doses of phosphorus on the production of tomato groups grown in substrate under greenhouse conditions, a randomized complete block design was used in a 2 x 5 factorial scheme, with two tomato groups: Santa Cruz "Debora Max" and Cherry "Coco" x five rates of P₂O₅ (0; 33; 66; 99 and 132 g; 10 L of nutrient solution) with four replicates. The results showed that the electrical conductivity inside the Slabs is not homogeneous, being recommended to wet the substrate inside the slabs, before the planting to reduce the electrical conductivity. In relation to phosphorus efficiency, the highest tomato yield was for the 6.6 g L^-1 phosphorus dose for the two Santa Cruz and Cherry groups. The main advantage of using slabs in tomatoes is the efficiency of the phosphorus used in the first planting.

Key words: Lycopersicon esculentum, substrate, slabs, phosphorus, fertilization.