| heal.abstract |
The effects of truss vibration, and the application of β-naphthoxyacetic acid (β-NOA) to flowers, on fruit-set, total and marketable yields, and fruit quality were studied in two cherry tomato [Solanum lycopersicum L. var. cerasiforme (Dunal) D. M. Spooner, G. J. Anderson and R. K. Jansen] hybrids 'Conchita F1' and 'Cherelino F1', grown in an unheated plastic greenhouse during the Winter/Spring and Spring seasons in Southern Greece. Fruit-set was high in the Winter/Spring crop but, due to unfavourable conditions (i.e., night-time temperatures below 10oC, which impaired microsporogenesis, pollination, and fertilisation), most fruit contained few seeds, were small and unmarketable. Although both truss vibration and β-NOA significantly increased mean fruit weights, and total yields, in both cultivars, the application of β-NOA gave the greatest increase in mean fruit weight and percentage of marketable fruit. In contrast, in the Spring crop, neither treatment affected the number or weight of fruit per plant because the climatic conditions were more favourable for pollination and fertilisation.The application of β-NOA did not adversely affect fruit quality, as previously reported in large-fruiting tomato cultivars. β-NOA did not induce any malformation or puffiness in the fruit and, while these seedless fruit showed higher dry mass percentages, higher total soluble solids contents, and lower titratable acidity levels than seeded tomato fruit, their colour, firmness, sugar, and phenolics contents were not affected. Conditions that are unfavourable for fruit set frequently occur in unheated greenhouses in the Mediterranean Basin during the Winter and early Spring; therefore, we conclude that the application of β-NOA to the flowers of cherry tomato at that time will ensure higher yields, better market quality, and higher market returns. |
en |