ISHS Acta Horticulturae 51: Symposium on Protected Cultivation of Flowers and Vegetables
INFLUENCE OF STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT AT PLANTING ON FLOWERING AND FRUITING IN TOMATO |
| Authors: | J.V. Morgan, E.J. Clarke |
| Abstract:
Planting tomatoes at the "buds-visible" stage as compared to the "50% flowers-open" stage significantly improved reproductive growth and development. Time of flowering of individual inflorescences from the third onwards was advanced by as much as six days. Flower and fruit numbers and the incidence of compound inflorescences were increased with maximum differences (up to 94% for flowers and 57% for branching) occurring at the sixth-truss stage. Fruit size was increased as also was total yield to the extent of 2.94 kg/m2. At the time of planting there were six inflorescences initiated and developing on the delayed plants and three on the early plants. There was little difference in flower and fruit numbers on the first three inflorescences, but from this stage onwards plantings at the "buds-visible" stage rapidly gained an advantage, indicating that keeping the plants in pots beyond this stage had a detrimental effect on reproductive development. Neither the use of supplementary illumination during propagation nor the level of CO2 enrichment after planting altered the general response pattern to planting stage. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
