Tomaticultura para processamento industrial: características da produção brasileira e panorama da pesquisa científica

Abstract

The tomato plant for industrial processing is a vegetable highly relevant in Brazilian agribusiness. Knowledge on the agronomic and scientific production of the culture is highly important for new strategies of culture and trade and for further studies to supplement the deficiencies in the Brazilian production chain. Current analysis retrieved data on the general features of the produce and of tomato hybrids for industrial processing commercialized in Brazil and a survey on the scientific production with regard tothe theme. A bibliographic survey was undertaken on the evolution of tomato culture for industrial processing in Brazil. The number of firms which commercialize seeds and the characteristics of hybrids in Brazil were quantified to evaluate the evolution of production. Scopus databases were researched by keywords “industrial tomato processing” for the 1969-2019 period. Brazil is the greatest producer of tomatoes in South America and Goiás is the state with most cultivation, featuring the municipalities of Cristalina, Itaberaí, Morrinhos, Piracanjuba and Vianópolis with the highest production rates. Eleven firms commercialize seeds in Brazil, mostly with international headquarters. Fruits have a mass between 80 and 240 g and culture cycle varies between 90 and 120 days after transplanting. They show resistance mainly to Fusariumspp., Verticiliumspp. and Meloidogyne spp. During the last decades, there has been a growth in the literature on tomato culture for industrial processing, with Italy as the country with most publications. Subareas Phytotechnology and Food Science are the most interesting themes for researchers. In Brazil, teaching and research institutes dedicated to such studies lie in the midwestern and southeastern region of the country.