A COMPARISON OF 4 PROCESSING TOMATO PRODUCTION SYSTEMS DIFFERING IN COVER CROP AND CHEMICAL INPUTS

Four tomato production systems were compared at Columbus and Fremont, Ohio: 1) a conventional system; 2) an integrated system [a fall-plante d cover-crop mixture of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth,), rye (Secale cereale L.), crimson clover (Trifoliurn incarnatum L.), and barley (H ordeum vulgare L.) killed before tomato planting and left as mulch, an d reduced chemical inputs]; 3) an organic system (with cover-crop mixt ure and no synthetic chemical inputs); and (4) a no-input system (with cover-crop mixture and no additional management or inputs). Nitrogen in the cover-crop mixture above-ground biomass was 220 kg . ha(-1) in Columbus and 360 kg . ha(-1) in Fremont. Mulch systems (with cover-cro p mixture on the bed surface) had higher soil moisture levels and redu ced soil maximum temperatures relative to the conventional system. Ove rall, the cover-crop mulch suppressed weeds as well as herbicide plots , and no additional weed control was needed during the season. There w ere no differences in the frequency of scouted insect pests or disease s among the treatments. The number of tomato fruit and flower clusters for the conventional system was higher early in the season. In Fremon t, the plants in the conventional system had accumulated more dry matt er 5 weeks after transplanting. Yield of red fruit was similar for all systems at Columbus, but the conventional system yielded higher than the other three systems in Fremont. In Columbus, there were no differe nces in economic return above variable costs among systems. In Fremont , the conventional systems had the highest return above variable costs .