PROCESSING TOMATO VARIETIES THAT FIELD STORE TO INCREASE GROWER AND PROCESSOR PROFIT

Abstract

The processing tomato industry's inability to schedule ripe fruit production at or below processing capacity has been a problem in California for some years. This has resulted in the practice of extended field storage, which delayed harvest of ripe tomatoes. Field storage of most varieties significantly reduced both field yield and product quality. Thus, processors and some growers are reluctant to embrace this concept. This research has identified H 9665, H 9553, H 9775, H 8892, Peto 303, and Bos 3155 as varieties with potential to field store three to four weeks with little or no yield loss for the grower or paste or catsup loss for the processor. Identification of the varieties that extend field storage and having them in the variety mix could reduce both grower and processor loss when ripe fruit exceeds processing capacity. In California, another problem is that in years of high temperatures during July and August fruit set is reduced, resulting in a yield loss. Tomatoes planted mid-March and stored 23 days in the field yielded 30.4 t ha -1 more than the same varieties planted mid-April and harvested the same day.