The tomato crop in monoculture and polyculture (intercropping with coriander and marigold and sorghum as surrounding crop) were compared in organic system of production, in relation to incidence of pests, yield and quality of fruits. We evaluated the incidence of thrips, the plants and fruits with symptoms of viral disease (%), damaged fruits by Neoleucinodes elegantalis (%), total and commercial yield, total number of fruits, number of marketable fruits, fruit average weight, fruit diameter, total soluble solids (TSS) content, total titratable acidity (TTA) and relation TSS/TTA. In polyculture, a lower incidence of thrips was noticed and, consequently, a lower percentage of plants and fruits with symptoms of viral disease was recorded. The incidence of drilling by N. elegantalis was also lower in the tomatoes in polyculture. The total yield and the total number of fruits in monoculture was higher than in the polyculture. However, the marketable yield was similar in both crop systems and the number of marketable fruits was higher in polyculture. The fruit diameter was not different between treatments, but the total fruit average weight from the monoculture was higher. The fruits of polyculture showed higher content of TSS and TTA and the relation TSS/TTA did not differ between treatments. Thus, it reinforces the importance of plant diversity in pest management, requiring new studies to define a better spatial arrangement of plants to maintain its performance in the regulation of insect pests without interferring on the yield of tomato crop.
Lycopersicon esculentum; Neoleucinodes elegantalis; Thysanoptera; intercropping; natural farming
