Effects of Double-shoots Training Cultivation on Plant Growth and Fruit Productivity in Processing Tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L.)

Abstract

Since the fruits would be apt to perishable and disease in open field cultivation of processing tomatoes, we attempted vertical double-shoots attracting cultivation to secure a stable yield in this experiment. The control plot (untreated plants) and double-shoots (cultivated by attracted 1st and 2nd lateral shoots below the top flower truss) plot were set. There was no difference between the both plots on the first flowering date. Although the number of flowers per plant was decreased significantly in the double-shoots plot compared to the control plot, there were no differences in total yield and the number of fruits. The cracked, worm-eaten, and blossom-end-rot fruits were decreased significantly in the double-shoot plot. The stem diameter, SPAD value, leaf area, and dry weight per lateral shoot were significantly larger in the double-shoots plot thanin the control, but there was no difference between the both plots in the photosynthetic rate and mineral nutrient contentsper plant. Since in the vertical double-shoots cultivation the translocation of nutrients and photosynthetic products wereincreased significantly compared to the control, we guessed the fruit productivity of one lateral shoot in the verticalcultivation would be increased compared to the untreated control cultivation.