Response of some italian tomato landraces to protected cultivation

Experiments concerning the response to protected cultivation of five Italian tomato landraces, different for fruit traits, were carried out. The comparison was made with four local cultivars grown in a family garden in California and with two commercial F1 hybrids widely utilised in Sicily. Given that the Italian landraces are sometimes grown in dry conditions, the experiment also took into consideration three irrigation volumes (100%, 75% and 50% of the controlled crop evapotraspiration). The yield level and the characteristics were of course different according to the compared genetic materials; the Italian landraces with small fruit were as productive as the corresponding commercial cherry tomato cultivar utilised as control. Irrigation volumes modified the response of the genetic materials; interactions were registered for yield and its components and for fruit traits. Fruits of the studied landraces showed interesting qualitative characteristics also in comparison with hybrids F1. For some of these characteristics differences, even if slight, were registered in relation to water irrigation volume.