Dear @Mahmoud, open-field cultivation is generally perceived as an ‘eco-friendly’ activity! "Greenhouse production is often perceived as an artificial process, characterized by low nutritional quality of the final product and the heavy use of chemical inputs. " The example of tomato production is given in following research! "Preliminary results revealed that environmental burden per kg of tomato grown in open-field production was greater than that for tomatoes produced in greenhouses with respect to factors such as the use of water, fertilizers and pesticides. Notwithstanding the differences in environmental burden associated with the two production systems, if one considers the higher economic returns obtained from greenhouse production, their existence could constitute a reasonable trade-off."

http://www.actahort.org/books/801/801_197.htm

http://www.oecd.org/agriculture/crp/48872683.pdf

Dear @Mahmoud, I think it's the variety, the alleles that decide the tastiness of tomato.  Sun Gold and Super 100 are probably the sweetest, the Cherokee Purple complex, sweet, wine-like tomato flavor, Ananas Noir is on the sweet side and fruity, and Brandywine and Caspian Pink have old fashioned, rich tomato flavor. But Greenhouse cultivation may imply less sunlight for sugar production, leading to less sweet fruits, and detract from the flavor.

Dear Miranda Thank you for expressing your views. I forgot to mention one other point in my question. Although the original question is about the differences in taste and nutritional quality of the end products of the two cultivation system from consumer point of view, please also compare and contrast them from grower and environmental point of views too. Therefore, your views on energy consumption, the need for year round production quality, safety, yields and productivity, cost and economics, sustainability, environmental impacts and GHG emissions, etc. is also welcomed (highly appreciated) in this topic.

Dear @Mahmoud, open-field cultivation is generally perceived as an ‘eco-friendly’ activity! "Greenhouse production is often perceived as an artificial process, characterized by low nutritional quality of the final product and the heavy use of chemical inputs. " The example of tomato production is given in following research! "Preliminary results revealed that environmental burden per kg of tomato grown in open-field production was greater than that for tomatoes produced in greenhouses with respect to factors such as the use of water, fertilizers and pesticides. Notwithstanding the differences in environmental burden associated with the two production systems, if one considers the higher economic returns obtained from greenhouse production, their existence could constitute a reasonable trade-off."

http://www.actahort.org/books/801/801_197.htm

http://www.oecd.org/agriculture/crp/48872683.pdf

Dear @Miranda  and Ljubomir. Your answers were incomplete! I asked "What is your preference and perception ..." Therefore beside discussing the differences between the two system please indicate your own preference and perception, too. Thank you.

Dear @Mahmoud, if I have the land, I would do open-field cultivation.  Then I will get tomatoes blessed with natural sunshine.  I think that whether it's OFC or greenhouse, the time and commitment is about the same.  But without the land, I am happy enough to plant some tomatoes in a pot of soil.  So to answer your question, I would prefer OFC, thanks.

Of course, I do prefer Open Field Cultivation products. They are very tasty, for both fruit and vegetables categories.

f you’ve decided to start growing tomatoes — and you probably have if you’re checking out this Web site — you have the pick of the crop. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different varieties. They come in all shapes and sizes including bite-size cherry and grape tomatoes (the first round, the second oval), pear-shaped tomatoes called, of all things, pear tomatoes, your garden-variety slicing tomatoes, oblong paste tomatoes like Romas, and two-pound monsters.

Growing your own gives you a chance to enjoy varieties and flavors that you’ll never encounter in the supermarket (see Gary Ibsen’s TomatoFest). Since tomatoes (like so many other fruits and vegetables these days) are now bred largely for easy transport, more delicate, easily bruised types have disappeared from most stores. Commercial tomatoes also have to be picked before they are fully ripe, so that they don’t peak (or rot) before they reach their retail destination, so store tomatoes rarely have the fullest flavor.

Growing your own, though, means that you can enjoy tomatoes with tender skin, or easily bruised flesh. It means that you can wait until that moment of perfect ripeness before you pick the fruit — if you have the willpower, that is. All this helps explain why, for many gardeners, the great American past time isn’t baseball, it’s growing tomatoes.

http://www.planetnatural.com/tomato-gardening-guru/growing-tomatoes/

I do prefer products from my own garden. Taste of  fruits and vegetables depends on soil richness in metabolites produced by other plants and microbes, and fertilization by organic matter, lack of mineral fertilization and pesticides. 

Open field cultivation products are really more delicious and tastier than green house products to me.

Dear Alex, Thank you for sharing you views. But how about going for organic farming and crops inside greenhouses. In recent years, demand for "safe" food that does not contain pesticide or chemical residues, boosted organic farming inside greenhouses. It can also improve crop yields, food security,income, minimizes environment degradation and protects the biodiversity of soil.

I have no scientific knowledge about your question. But personally I prefer open field products because of better taste and contents. Indeed some years ago we could buy in Germany the tomatoes produced in the Netherlands, without any taste, just red and round. But till today they changed this kind of agriculture. Dutch tomatoes have taste, good consistence, richness in form and colour. You can eat them. I don´t know the content of minerals, vitamins etc.

But my emotional resumé:

The best apple or cherry is from the own garden, climbing on your own tree, go to your garden plants and enjoy the growing, ripening and harvesting.

Dear @Barbara. Thank you for detail explanation of hydroponic cultivation. As a matter of fact, modern greenhouses in my country are adapting hydroponic cultivation with both systems (i.e., open or closed systems fertilization)  being in use. Thank you.

Dear @Hanno. Very nice resume. Please be careful when climbing on your own tree. I had a bad experience.

Don't think there is a difference in terms of nutritional value.

Based on the answers we got so far, indeed we mostly equate the phrase “open-field" with natural products. In my opinion, I don't think so. It can be vice versa or at least both can grow with same quality.

Dear Mahmoud,

Up to my knowledge there are no big differences in quality between greenhouse and open field cultivation regarding tomato. As Miranda correctly points out,  taste, flavor, shape, consistence, colour and shelf life are determined mainly by genetic characteristics (under normal environmental conditions-NEC), i.e varieties and transgenic organisms (GMO).

Open field cultivation does not imply not using agrochemicals or being safer than greenhouse cultivation, e.g. industrial vegetable farming in USA, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico. Most of Greenhouse crops are cultivated to avoid climate/environmental restrictions, e.g. temperature, precipitation, sun radiation or to boost production through intensive use of some gases like Carbon Dioxide.

As an example I can mention the "tomate platense" (lycopersicum esculentum var. platensis), which is a big round tomato grown in the area of the city of La Plata, Argentina, of good quality (tasty, pulpy and juicy). The only problem is that it is cultivated in open systems, only from November through March. So the rest of the year there were no local tomatoes nearby Buenos Aires. When big greenhouse facilities were introduced during the 80s, different varieties were cultivated and now we can eat tomatoes all the year round, either from local GH or from different geographic regions in Argentina. The advantage of the GH is that you can control some of the environmental variables.

Of course the big round tomato is much more tasty and with a better general aspect, but it only grows during Summer and has a very limited shelf life.

During the 80s, Israeli scientists made tremendous breakthroughs achieving tomatoes where an enzyme degrading cellulose was inhibited, gaining a very long shelf life. Of course this transgenic tomatoes are not as tasty as the others.

Quality is a summation of attributes of a certain good or service to satisfy the consumer's needs, so for some people high quality tomatoes may imply a long shelf life or an attractive colour, for others more or less seeds and locules (compartments) inside, or a perfect fruit . It also depends on the use given to them: fresh consumption or manufacturing. There is always a trade off between attributes.

Regarding natural/organic farming, it requires following very specific production protocols and certification. Many of what people call 'organic crops' are not organic, basically because you have to decontaminate the soil for at least 4/5 years, according to the crop, before cultivating.

When I shop for tomatoes, I look for consistency of the fruit, colour, odour and price, and don't care if they were produced in a GH or in open fields.

Regards

http://www.infojardin.com/foro/showthread.php?t=286613

http://www.infojardin.com/foro/showthread.php?t=320488&page=21

If there is a difference, then it will be slightly. I think open field products can be a bit tasty.

Open field cultivation, with organic fertilizers & with the dependence on rain largely, was the norm in our town & the nearby villages in the 1960s "when I was a boy" and before that. The growth of the plants was natural & vegetables such as tomatoes & cucumber were very tasty. There were no greenhouses at all. Since the 1970s & until now, most farmers grow their plants artificially relying upon fast growth in greenhouses, with doses of fertilizers, hormones, and enzymes, to get higher prices. The taste of the vegetables has changed negatively. I think the present young generation is missing what we, the older persons, have enjoyed in the "good old days".  

Nowadays, "luxury foods” such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, ... not only provide vitamins and minerals but also add color and variety to a meal. Accordingly, most vegetables grown using hydroponics  and controlled environment agriculture inside greenhouses are high cash value and perishable. It should be mentioned that open-field, fresh market tomatoes are generally cheaper than greenhouse hydroponic tomatoes. Why is it so then (if as some consumer think they are inferior in quality and taste)?

Well as far as my knowledge goes, Greenhouse products are not inferior in quality. most of the time the environment in the green house is controlled along with fertilizers and pesticides. So quality output is generated. Yield of such is also high. OFC may face many problems of soil, environment, etc. So quality may deteriorate. As far as taste is concerned its individual perception.

I think generalization for all the outside and inside greenhouse products for all the crops grown, is not suggestible. On the contrary to most of the discussions of my predecessors so far, in my view the greenhouse products are known for their superior quality. The chemical requirements, particularly herbicides and pesticides, are generally less in greenhouse cultivation.

Dear Ajay,

Thank you for your answer. Greenhouse cultivation as compared with OFC represent a shift from extensive to intensive production. The main advantage of greenhouse is that the environment inside the house may be controlled in such a way that optimal growing-conditions are obtained. As a result, Greenhouse produce high quality crops, high yields and year-round excellence with greater predictability that cannot be achieved in the open-field.

Yes Mahmoud,

Rightly pointed that the greenhouse was mainly introduced to producing the high quality crops year-round with greater predictability that cannot be achieved in the open-field.

Production will shift away from extensive grazing systems towards more intensive and industrial methods. Patterns of food consumption are becoming more similar throughout the world, shifting towards higher-quality and more expensive foods such as meat and dairy products. The following summary report is a short version of the results of the technical FAO study "World agriculture: towards 2015/2030"

http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2002/7833-en.html

I think that the products of greenhouse cultivation are perceived as inferior for taste and quality. Even the smell of these products is different and we feel that it is not natural.

Dear Mahfuz,

With the advances in organic as well as hydroponic systems the things are changed inside the greenhouses and we can not generalize and say such produce taste inferior any more. In fact greenhouse is one of the most advanced technology currently practiced in agriculture. It is a valuable additions you can make to your property. If you want to be more self-reliant by raising more of your own food, a greenhouse can help you meet many of your needs and goals. With a greenhouse, you can plant fall and winter crops to extend the growing season and enjoy fresh food year-round. The vegetables produced inside greenhouses are more expensive that those produced in open-field. Do you think people are willing to pay more for inferior taste and quality?

Dear Mahmoud: As a final consumer, if all other circumstances are (or can be) equivalent, I do not see any relevant difference in the quality. The question seems when the circumstances can not be comparable. For example in a Mediterranean climate when someone produces or eats tomato or melon in winter (that is, out of the season), or when someone try to produce a tropical fruit in a temperate (or cold?) climate. But even this problem may be eventually solved, with an open market of products at a global scale.  

Dear Antonio, thank you for participation. I agree with what you said above. I think we should compare not only quality in these two systems but also quantity, environmental impact and other factors into consideration to have a better picture. For instance, studies have indicated that even locally grown produce in OFC can have higher contributions to CO2 emissions than products which are cultivated inside the greenhouses. 

High energy lead to large emissions of greenhouse gases and the conventional farming is a very large emission source of them.Therefore, organic plant production significantly contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In greenhouse farming, temperature is regulated in a way that it suits the crop being cultivated. "Vegetables that cannot be cultivated in a particular season can be cultivated any time of the year with greenhouse farming. Nearly 370 farmers growing vegetables and flowers in around 120 acres in the state are said to be reaping the benefits of their quality produce. With increased productivity, farmers are even selling their produce to other states, with flowers mainly being exported to other countries.

http://www.hortidaily.com/article/12808/India-Andhra-govt-offers-75-procent-subsidy-for-greenhouse-farming

Dear Krishnan,

Thank you for your answer and link expressing advantages of greenhouse production over conventional farming. As food shortages around the world, become more intense, we begin to realize that current food production systems will not suffice.

Dear All,

What you think about "Vertical farming"? One idea, developed by Valcent, a vertical-farming firm based in Texas, Vancouver and Cornwall, is to use vertically stacked hydroponic trays that move on rails, to ensure that all plants get an even amount of sunlight. The company already has a 100-square-metre working prototype at Paignton Zoo in Devon, producing rapid-cycle leaf vegetable crops, such as lettuce, for the zoo's animals. The VerticCrop system (See attached picture) ensures an even distribution of light and air flow, says Dan Caiger-Smith of Valcent. Using energy equivalent to running a desktop computer for ten hours a day it can produce 500,000 lettuces a year, he says. Growing the same crop in fields would require seven times more energy and up to 20 times more land and water.

http://www.economist.com/node/17647627

Pp7

The warm, humid conditions and abundant food in the greenhouse are ideal for pest buildup. Problems can be chronic unless recognized and corrected. Many insecticides used on vegetables in the field are prohibited in the greenhouse

Source - ID-36 Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers, 2014-15, UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT, LEXINGTON, KY, 40546;

Generally, a commercially prepared soilless media is used for containerized transplant production. This media must be free of insects, pathogens, nematodes and weed seeds. Compared to field-grown transplants, greenhouse transplants have several advantages. They can be produced earlier and more uniformly than field-grown plants. Their growth can be controlled more easily through fertility and water management and they can be held longer and harvested when needed. Because containerized plants are less crowded and healthier; stockier plants can be produced. Finally, container-grown greenhouse plants have a media-enclosed root ball, which retains moisture and root integrity at transplanting, reducing transplant shock.

Full publication source at:

http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=B1144

Well, greenhouse products have less vitamins or no vitamins.

Only limited sunlight can get through glass or plastic.

Dear @Michael. Thank you for your response. Hydroponics farms are enclosed within greenhouses. Some hydroponics growers do not use pesticides, and they employ organic farming methods, which allows them to meet the standards required to be labeled as organic produce with lots of vitamins.

A study carried out in Kenya compared the quality of open field and greenhouse grown tomato Anna F1 where the fruits were harvested at colour break stage and stored at ambient temperature.Quality parameters such as total soluble salts, weight changes and diameter of fruits were taken at intervals of two days. Finally through visual observance, the level of deterioration was noted in terms of the number of fruits affected. The findings indicated that open field grown tomato was superior than greenhouse grown tomato.

Variety Trial on Tomato Hybrids in Greenhouse Conditions of the Prearal Area of Kazakhstan

One of the most important factors in the intensification of greenhouse tomato production is the introduction of new high-yielding hybrids which are adapted to new technologies and unfavorable climatic conditions...

Article Variety Trial on Tomato Hybrids in Greenhouse Conditions of ...

Very informative and interesting query@ Mahmoud Omid

The land, water, and energy requirements of hydroponics were compared to those of conventional agriculture by example of lettuce production in Yuma, Arizona, USA. Data were obtained from crop budgets and governmental agricultural statistics, and contrasted with theoretical data for hydroponic lettuce production derived by using engineering equations populated with literature values. Yields of lettuce per greenhouse unit (815 m2) of 41 ± 6.1 kg/m2/y had water and energy demands of 20 ± 3.8 L/kg/y and 90,000 ± 11,000 kJ/kg/y (±standard deviation), respectively. In comparison, conventional production yielded 3.9 ± 0.21 kg/m2/y of produce, with water and energy demands of 250 ± 25 L/kg/y and 1100 ± 75 kJ/kg/y, respectively. Hydroponics offered 11 ± 1.7 times higher yields but required 82 ± 11 times more energy compared to conventionally produced lettuce.

In summary, hydroponic gardening of lettuce uses land and water more efficiently than conventional farming and could become a strategy for sustainably feeding the world’s growing population, if the high energy consumption can be overcome through improved efficiency and/or cost-effective renewables.

References:

Comparison of Land, Water, and Energy Requirements of Lettuce Grown Using Hydroponic vs. Conventional Agricultural Methods

Guilherme Lages Barbosa,1 Francisca Daiane Almeida Gadelha,1 Natalya Kublik,1 Alan Proctor,1 Lucas Reichelm,1Emily Weissinger,1 Gregory M. Wohlleb,1 and Rolf U. Halden1,2,*

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015 Jun; 12(6): 6879–6891.

Published online 2015 Jun 16. doi:  10.3390/ijerph120606879

Article Comparison of Land, Water, and Energy Requirements of Lettuc...

As controlled conditions produces more food faster and which is more delicate that consist high nutritive status. but OFC food or produce more tolerant and hardy.