Békalta, Tunisia (May 30, 2016) – The Tunisian tomato sector covers with between 1 and 1.3 million tons per year 14.2% of the agricultural production quantity and 4.8% of the production value. Tomato is the second most important commodity produced in terms of quantity by the country and it is grown annually on an area of around 28,000 ha. In 2013 the average yield on national level was 45 tonnes per hectare, with 43 tonnes in Nabeul, and more than 60 tonnes per hectare in Kairouan and Sidi Bouzid. About 85% of the tomatoes go to processing and is turned mainly into DCT (Double Concentrate Tomato). The scale of sliced, peeled and dried tomato is marginal compared to DCT. Tomato consumption in Tunisia is the highest in the world with about 70 kg/y per person.

The SANBIO ferti-activators can control biotic and abiotic stress and have positive impact to vegetative and resistive processes.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of ferti-activators Sanbio EPSOMIT on productivity and profitability of tomato variety ´Sote Plenty´.

This project is being carried out within the collaboration between the Farm Ben Slimane – Tunsia, SGDAI Société Générale de Développement Agricole et Industriel Sarl – Tunisia and SANBOS GmbH – Germany.

1.  Materials and methods

Table 1. Basic data

Season	2014-2016
Location	Békalta, Tunisia Picture 1: Glasshouse complex
Responsible organization	Farm Ben Slimane
Crop	Tomato
Variety	Sote Plenty
Trial field	1 block system, 15 glasshouses, 8-9m tunnel, av. 540 m² per house, 3 ha total area
Plant density	1500 plants per tunnel
Pesticides	none
Irrigation	drip irrigation
Test product	Sanbio EPSOMIT, manufactured by SANBOS GmbH, Germany
Application	100 g SANBIO EPSOMIT + 50L water per glasshouse (resp. 1 kg/ha product rate), soil application
Date of planting	9.2015
Date of application	11/2015, BBCH 13
Date of harvest	05/2016
Scoring	Yield, profitability

Figure 2. Seasonal time schedule

2.   Results

Figure 3. Yield of tomato (t/ha)

Figure 4. Profitability of treatment (TND/ha, TND=Currency ´Tunisian Dinar´)

Figure 5. Typical tunnel

Picture 6. One shoot more per plant in the treated tunnel  

Picture 9. Higher yield in the treated tunnel

3.  Conclusion

To summarize, the present study shows significantly positive effects by use of ferti-activator Sanbio EPSOMIT on productive performance of tomato cv ´Sote Plenty´.

The positive effects at glance:

• Significantly higher harvest (+26.7% in 2015, +73.3% in 2016)
• Improved vigor (+ one shoot per plant, resp. +0.5 … 1.5 kg more fruits per plant)
• Earlier ripening and harvest (30 days earlier)
• Introduced resistance against Fusarium wilt (ban of fungicides)
• Proofed profitability (ROI 1:12 … 1:17).