The influence of the temperature, air humidity, brightness and their effects on tomato yield growth in protected environment and in the field were evaluated. Two experiments were carried out in different atmospheres from January to May 2002. The cultivar Santa Clara, hybrid Carmen and an accession BGH-320 from the Germplasm Vegetable Bank of Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, were used in both experiments. The experiment under protected environment was carried out in a greenhouse type chapel and the other in the field, under natural conditions. In general higher production of fruits was observed on plants cultivated under protected environment than in open field. The Carmen hybrid exceeded the other genotypes in yield in the protected environment. Accession BGH-320 presented lower total yield under protected environment than the other two genotypes. In the field the accession BGH-320 presented higher total yield than Santa Clara cultivar and a similar yield than Carmen. In the field, the commercial yield did not differ among the three genotypes.
Lycopersicon esculentum; temperature; air relative humidity; brightness; yield
