Abstract The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas is one of the most diverse vegetable-producing regions in Texas. Traditionally, tomatoes in the RGV have been grown in open field during the spring and fall, but the production area has declined significantly due to the high pressure of pests and diseases. RGV open-field cultivation during winter is limited to cold-tolerant vegetables such spinach and cabbage due to the risk of cold days and nights. As an alternative, high tunnels offer an environment protected against pests and diseases, wind, and low temperatures. Here, we studied the feasibility of RGV high-tunnel tomato production to identify the planting date, tomato type, and cultivars best suited for producing high-quality tomatoes during winter. The high tunnel maintained temperatures above 21 °C during chilly days without providing additional heat. In addition, whitefly and thrips populations remained low during most of the cropping season, although pesticide control was required at crop establishment to lower their populations. Overall, higher yields were achieved in October compared to November planting and from determinate compared to indeterminate cultivars. Determinate tomato cultivars TAM Hot-Ty, Mykonos, and TAM HT1 transplanted in October produced up to 96.4, 129.13, and 85.98 t/ha, respectively. Among the cultivars tested, TAM Hot-Ty and TAM HT1 possessed the highest concentrations of soluble solids, with ° Brix >5 %. In an organoleptic test, fruits from high tunnel tomatoes were ranked higher than Texas supermarket tomatoes imported from other regions in terms of flavor, color, and overall characteristics. This study demonstrates that tomato high-tunnel production offers a viable alternative to open-field production in South Texas and could provide a source of high-quality locally produced tomatoes to Texas and nearby markets.

中文翻译：

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德克萨斯州南部淡季生产的高隧道番茄品种的产量和果实品质

摘要 德克萨斯州南部的里奥格兰德河谷 (RGV) 是德克萨斯州最多样化的蔬菜产区之一。传统上，RGV中的西红柿在春秋两季在露地种植，但由于病虫害压力大，生产面积大幅下降。由于昼夜寒冷的风险，冬季的RGV露地栽培仅限于菠菜和卷心菜等耐寒蔬菜。作为替代方案，高空隧道提供了一个不受病虫害、风和低温影响的环境。在这里，我们研究了 RGV 高隧道番茄生产的可行性，以确定最适合在冬季生产优质番茄的种植日期、番茄类型和品种。在寒冷的日子里，高隧道将温度保持在 21 °C 以上，而没有提供额外的热量。此外，在种植季节的大部分时间里，粉虱和蓟马的数量仍然很低，尽管在作物种植时需要进行农药控制以降低它们的数量。总体而言，与 11 月种植相比，10 月实现了更高的产量，与不确定栽培品种相比，确定种植品种获得了更高的产量。确定的番茄品种 TAM Hot-Ty、Mykonos 和 TAM HT1 于 10 月移植，产量分别高达 96.4、129.13 和 85.98 吨/公顷。在测试的品种中，TAM Hot-Ty 和 TAM HT1 具有最高浓度的可溶性固体，°白利糖度 >5%。在感官测试中，高隧道番茄的水果在风味方面的排名高于从其他地区进口的德克萨斯超市番茄，颜色和整体特征。这项研究表明，番茄高隧道生产为南德克萨斯州的露天生产提供了可行的替代方案，并且可以为德克萨斯州和附近市场提供优质本地生产的番茄来源。