Technical and Economic Evaluation of Three Types of Tomato Nutrient Solutions under Semi-Controlled Conditions

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of three types of nutrient solutions on the development, performance, quality and cost of chonto tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under semi-controlled conditions. The assessment was conducted in the farm Tesorito, Manizales, Colombia. An experimental design was established in randomized complete blocks (RCB), with 3 treatments, 4 replicates per treatment and 10 effective plants per replicate. The variables were- height of the first cluster, production per plant, yield t ha-1 and qualities of the fruit. The economic variables were production costs, cost-benefit ratio (C/BR), rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV). In general, production per plant was greater than 4.7 kg plant-1 and the average yield was 92 t ha-1. The use of conventional fertilization (tt2) generated increased production of premium quality fruit with a value of 37.11 t ha-1, demonstrating that conventional soil fertilization implemented in this culture under semi-controlled conditions in the company of drip irrigation system in the root zone improve outcomes of productive variables, increasing profitability and competitiveness with a net profit of USD$ $ 25203.68 ha-1, with average selling price of USD$ 0.45 per kilogram and a unit production margin of USD$ 0.21 per kilogram, making this technology attractive and economically viable.