Document Type

Poster

Journal/Book Title/Conference

2026 USU Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate Student Showcase

Publisher

Utah State University

Publication Date

4-8-2026

Abstract

Global food systems face increasing pressure to produce more food with fewer resources, while urbanization limits access to traditional growing spaces. Urban agriculture offers a strategy to improve local food production, but space constraints remain a major challenge. Dwarf crops, bred to be compact and high yielding, can improve production efficiency in these systems. This study evaluated the growth habit, yield, and fruit quality of 18 dwarf tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cultivars grown in controlled environment rooms under LED lights. Cultivars differed substantially in growth habit, size, yield and fruit quality. Generally, larger cultivars produced higher per-plant yields but lower yields per volume, while smaller cultivars showed greater yield and space-use-efficiency per volume and had higher fruit soluble solids (°brix). These results highlight tradeoffs among size, yield, and fruit quality, emphasizing that dwarf tomato cultivar selection should align with the spatial constraints and production goals of urban and home growers.

Comments

This poster was presented at the 2026 USU Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate Student Showcase. It earned second place in the poster competition among Masters students.

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