The Effect of Staking vs. Ground Culture on Tomato Postharvest Losses

Abstract

Freshly harvested and graded tomatoes were held for 7 days at 21C in 1993 and 15.5C in 1994. After the holding period, the fruit were examined for decay development. In 1993, decay losses were not significantly different between cultural treatments, possibly due to a very warm and dry growing season. However, decay losses were significantly different during a wet 1994 growing season. Stake-grown fruit decay loss was 10.1% vs. 34.1% loss for ground culture. Losses due to anthracnose (Colletotrichum coccodes) was significantly higher on the ground culture fruit (8.7%) than on the stake culture fruit (0.5%). Sour/watery rot (Geotrichum candidum), Rhizopus soft rot (Rhizopus stolonifer), bacterial soft rot (Erwinia carotovora) and the black mold rot complex (Alternaria, Stemphylium, Pleospora) were the other predominant postharvest decays.