Evaluación de cuatro tipos de cobertura en macrotúneles sobre la productividad y severidad de artrópodos y enfermedades en el cultivo de tomate (solanum lycopersicum var. retana) en el municipio de sololá, departamento de sololá

Abstract

La presente investigación evaluó el efecto de cuatro tipos de cobertura en estructuras de macrotúnel sobre la productividad, incidencia y severidad de plagas y enfermedades en el cultivo de tomate (Solanum lycopersicum var. Retana) en el municipio de Sololá, Guatemala. Se implementó un diseño experimental completamente al azar con cinco tratamientos: malla, agryl, techo plástico, malla con plástico y un testigo a campo abierto. Los resultados mostraron que la cobertura de malla con plástico presentó la menor incidencia y severidad de artrópodos y enfermedades. En términos de productividad, los mayores rendimientos se obtuvieron con techo plástico y malla con plástico, superando significativamente al campo abierto.

This study evaluated the effect of four types of cover used in macrotunnel structures on productivity, pest and disease incidence, and severity in tomato cultivation (Solanum lycopersicum var. Retana) in the municipality of Sololá, Guatemala. A completely randomized experimental design was implemented with five treatments: netting, Agryl fabric, plastic roof, netting combined with plastic, and an open-field control, each with four replications.

The variables evaluated included agronomic parameters (plant height, yield, and fruit quality), sanitary parameters (incidence and severity of arthropods and diseases), microclimatic conditions (temperature and relative humidity), and an economic profitability analysis. Data were collected biweekly and analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and mean comparison tests with InfoStat software.

The results showed significant differences among treatments. The netting-plus-plastic cover exhibited the lowest incidence and severity of arthropods, as well as low disease incidence values. In terms of productivity, the highest yields were obtained under the plastic roof and the netting-plus-plastic treatments, significantly outperforming the open-field control and the other cover types.

Fruit quality analysis did not reveal marked differences in all cases, although some treatments produced fruits with greater commercial size. Microclimatic conditions partially explained these differences, as each cover type modified the temperature and humidity conditions inside the tunnels.

In conclusion, the results confirm that the use of covers in protected agriculture significantly improves the health status, productivity, and profitability of tomato cultivation in Sololá. Among the alternatives evaluated, the combination of netting and plastic produced the best results compared with open-field cultivation.