Control of Fruit Size in Hydroponic Greenhouse Tomatoes

Field, Stewart K.; Nichols, Mike

doi:10.17660/actahortic.2004.648.4

Cited by 2 publications

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“…Small to medium sized round fruit as described by Field and Nichols (2004) are the most popular on the market. For maximum profitability, growers need to produce high yields with a large proportion of the fruit falling in this size category (Cockshull et al, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of pruning on yield and quality of hydroponically grown cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Maboko

Plooy

2008

South African Journal of Plant and Soil

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The commercial importance of cherry tomatoes is continuously increasing in the South African retail market, with fruit size playing an important role. The effect of pruning on yield and quality of two cherry tomato cultivars (Naomi and Josefina) with an indeterminate growth habit were investigated in an open bag hydroponic system at ARC-VOPI (25° 59 ' S ; 28° 35 ' E) Pretoria. The plants were subjected to three pruning treatments (one, two and three stems) in a complete randomized block design with three replications. Fruit were harvested at the full ripe stage and the fruit number, size and mass, marketable yield and total yield, as well as the total soluble solids ( o Brix), were determined for all treatments. An increase in fruit size was evident in plants pruned to a single stem compared to plants pruned to two or three stems in both cultivars. The yield of plants increased with an increase in the number of stems. Cultivar Josefina had a significantly higher marketable yield compared to cultivar Naomi. Regardless of cultivar, pruning to two or three stems was effective in increasing yield and reducing fruit size to a size which is currently more acceptable to the market.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of pruning on yield and quality of hydroponically grown cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Maboko

Plooy

2008

South African Journal of Plant and Soil

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“…The number of fruits per cluster and fruit size of standard fruited (common) tomato varieties are regulated with thinning. In cherry tomato, uniformity of fruit size can also be improved by removing surplus fruits; thereby adapting the fruit load to the production of assimilates (Field and Nichols, 2004). The practice of fruit thinning is a measure that might contribute to increased fruit quality and quantity of cherry tomato.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of cluster thinning on quantitative and qualitative parameters of cherry tomato

Slatnar¹,

Mikulič-Petkovšek²,

Štampar³

et al. 2020

Europ.J.Hortic.Sci

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The practice of cherry tomato cluster thinning may contribute to increased quality of the remaining fruit. The objective of our study was to evaluate selected quality traits and the content of primary and secondary metabolites in fruits of cherry tomato subjected to two fruit thinning intensities (thinned to ½ or to 2∕₃ of the initial cluster length). Cluster thinning induced higher fruit yield at the beginning of the harvest period, between 98 and 115 days after transplanting (DAT). On later samplings, the yield of the control plants increased and remained higher until the end of the experiment, which resulted in higher total yield of control plants. Both thinning treatments significantly increased average mass of fruits from the distal cluster section in comparison to the control treatment. Redder fruits with significantly higher a*/b* ratio were characteristic for the proximal and distal sections of the control clusters in comparison to the fruits from the thinning treatments. Tomato cluster thinning caused periods with no yield between 117 and 128 DAT and between 142 and 152 DAT during the harvest period. Moreover, cluster-thinned tomatoes accumulated less sugar and more organic acids than the control fruit. The content of total analyzed carotenoids was comparable between cluster-thinned and control fruit. Regardless of the treatment, 22 individual phenolic compounds from four phenolic groups have been identified in cherry tomato fruit. Significant differences among treatments have been determined in approximately one half of analyzed phenolics, particularly from the group of hydroxycinnamic acids. It can be concluded that cluster thinning only moderately affected secondary metabolite composition of cherry tomato and had little positive effect on the levels of the two most important groups of antioxidant compounds (phenols and carotenoids). Keywords carotenoids, cherry tomato, cluster thinning, fruit quality, phenolic compounds Significance of this study What is already known on this subject? • Cluster thinning is a common measure in greenhouse tomato production aimed to maximize tomato fruit size, while no information about the fruit load adaptability to the production of assimilate after the cluster thinning of cherry tomatoes currently exists. What are the new findings? • Cluster thinning influenced harvest time, yield and color of cherry tomatoes, as well as the composition of sugars, organic acids, carotenoids and phenolic compounds in different ways. What is the expected impact on horticulture? • To widen horticultural knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of cluster thinning of cherry tomato.

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Control of Fruit Size in Hydroponic Greenhouse Tomatoes

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Effect of pruning on yield and quality of hydroponically grown cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Effect of pruning on yield and quality of hydroponically grown cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Influence of cluster thinning on quantitative and qualitative parameters of cherry tomato

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