ABSTRACT
The tomato originated from South America and its most widely known scientific name is Lycopersicon esculentum, but it can also be identified as Solanum lycopersicon, as originally classified by Linnaeus in 1753, because of the similarity between tomatoes and potatoes. This fruit contains a variety of micro-components, such as lycopene (an antioxidant), potassium, vitamins (A, C, E and K), sucrose and folic acid.
Among several climatic factors affecting tomato cultivation, the temperature should be emphasized. This is because the rate of liquid assimilation, i.e., efficiency of growth, is observed when the temperature is 18–28°C. In this temperature range optimum tomato production is carried out using appropriate techniques, such as the production of seedlings, soil preparation, application of organic matter, transplanting, planting and coverage, chemical nutrition, staking, pruning and pest control.
4Factors such as temperature, relative air humidity, luminosity and genetics can affect the tomato fruit content of organic acids (citric and malic acids), sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose), solids insoluble in alcohol (proteins, celluloses, pectin and polysaccharides), carotenes, and lipids, among others. Finally, many physiological, phytopathological and entomological disturbances can be resolved by genes that are in germplasm banks.
