ISHS Acta Horticulturae 412: I International Symposium on Solanacea for Fresh Market
CARBON PARTITIONING AND METABOLISM IN RELATION TO PLANT GROWTH AND FRUIT PRODUCTION IN TOMATO |
| Author: | L.C. Ho |
| Keywords: | Lycopersicon esculentum, CO2 enrichment, yield components, fruit quality, sugar metabolism |
| Abstract:
The steady increase in the yield of glasshouse tomatoes in the last twenty years is partly due to the application of CO2 enrichment, improved crop light interception, supplementary heating and soilless culture which ensure year-round cropping. Within a standard growing regime, the variations in fruit yield of tomato cultivars are determined by carbon partitioning. The potential fruit size is determined by cell number in the ovary, but the actual fruit size is regulated by light, temperature and water relations in the plant. When light levels are limiting, fruit size can be manipulated by altering the fruit number per plant. The dry matter content of fruit is cultivar dependent and is regulated by the light level and the leaf/fruit ratio in assimilate partitioning for fruit growth. Within the same cultivar, the dry matter content can be altered by water accumulation independent from carbon partitioning. The accumulation of dry matter in fruit is regulated by the transport and metabolism of sucrose. The storage and identity of sugars in the fruit may be regulated by the activity of sucrose metabolising enzymes or to a lesser extent by the transport processes at the plasmalemma or tonoplast. The physiological basis for improving further fruit yield and quality is discussed. | |
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