Effects of row arrangement and plant density on yield and quality of early, small-vined processing tomatoes

Abstract

Early processing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cv. H9230 and N 1045 were field grown with three row arrangements and two plant population densities in 1999, 2000 and 2001 to investigate their effects on fruit yield, quality, and foliar and fruit diseases. An equidistant single row arrangement (75/75 cm) resulted in similar or higher yield compared with the two less-even twin row arrangements (60/90 cm and 40/110 cm) over the 3 yr. The equidistant single row arrangement (75/75 cm) and wide twin row arrangement (60/90 cm) had reduced foliar and fruit diseases in a wet year (2000). However, the incidence of blossom-end rot was greater in the equidistant single row arrangement in a dry year (2001). Increasing the plant density from 33 300 to 40 400 plants ha-1 by reducing the plant spacing within the row from 40 to 33 cm increased the yield by 3–5 t ha-1. Row arrangement or plant density did not affect fruit size or soluble solids. Fruit size and soluble solids of H9230 were consistently greater than those of N1045 in all 3 yr. For production of early, small-vined processing tomatoes in southwestern Ontario, an equidistant single row arrangement with a plant density of 40 000 plants ha-1 is suggested. Key words: Lycopersicon esculentum, tomato, processing, yield, soluble solids, blossom-end rot