Commercial Tomato Cultivars Research Articles

An ActiveAc/DsTransposon System for Activation Tagging in Tomato Cultivar M82 Using Clonal Propagation

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a model organism for Solanaceae in both molecular and agronomic research. This project utilized Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation and the transposon-tagging construct Activator (Ac)/Dissociator (Ds)-ATag-Bar_gosGFP to produce activation-tagged and knockout mutants in the processing tomato cultivar M82. The construct carried hygromycin resistance (hyg), green fluorescent protein (GFP), and the transposase (TPase) of maize (Zea mays) Activator major transcript X054214.1 on the stable Ac element, along with a 35S enhancer tetramer and glufosinate herbicide resistance (BAR) on the mobile Ds-ATag element. An in vitro propagation strategy was used to produce a population of 25 T0 plants from a single transformed plant regenerated in tissue culture. A T1 population of 11,000 selfed and cv M82 backcrossed progeny was produced from the functional T0 line. This population was screened using glufosinate herbicide, hygromycin leaf painting, and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Insertion sites of transposed Ds-ATag elements were identified through thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR, and resulting product sequences were aligned to the recently published tomato genome. A population of 509 independent, Ds-only transposant lines spanning all 12 tomato chromosomes has been developed. Insertion site analysis demonstrated that more than 80% of these lines harbored Ds insertions conducive to activation tagging. The capacity of the Ds-ATag element to alter transcription was verified by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR in two mutant lines. The transposon-tagged lines have been immortalized in seed stocks and can be accessed through an online database, providing a unique resource for tomato breeding and analysis of gene function in the background of a commercial tomato cultivar.

Comparison of Intracanopy Light-emitting Diode Towers and Overhead High-pressure Sodium Lamps for Supplemental Lighting of Greenhouse-grown Tomatoes

Electric supplemental lighting can account for a significant proportion of total greenhouse energy costs. Thus, the objectives of this study were to compare high-wire tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production with and without supplemental lighting and to evaluate two different lighting positions + light sources [traditional high-pressure sodium (HPS) overhead lighting (OHL) lamps vs. light-emitting diode (LED) intracanopy lighting (ICL) towers] on several production and energy-consumption parameters for two commercial tomato cultivars. Results indicated that regardless of the lighting position + source, supplemental lighting induced early fruit production and increased node number, fruit number (FN), and total fruit fresh weight (FW) for both cultivars compared with unsupplemented controls for a winter-to-summer production period. Furthermore, no productivity differences were measured between the two supplemental lighting treatments. The energy-consumption metrics indicated that the electrical conversion efficiency for light-emitting intracanopy lighting (LED-ICL) into fruit biomass was 75% higher than that for HPS-OHL. Thus, the lighting cost per average fruit grown under the HPS-OHL lamps was 403% more than that of using LED-ICL towers. Although no increase in yield was measured using LED-ICL, significant energy savings for lighting occurred without compromising fruit yield.

Variation in the leaf δ13C is correlated with salinity tolerance under elevated CO2 concentration

Increasing atmospheric CO(2) concentration is expected to impact agricultural systems through a direct effect on leaf gas exchange and also due to effects on the global availability of good-quality water as a result of climate warming. Thus, the planning of land use for agriculture requires new tools to identify the capability of current cultivars to adapt to growth restrictions under new ambient conditions. We hypothesized that salinity stress may produce a specific pattern of carbon isotopic composition (δ(13)C) in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) at elevated CO(2) concentration ([CO(2)]) that could be used in the breeding of salinity tolerance in a near-future climate scenario. Five commercial tomato cultivars were evaluated at elevated (800 μmol mol(-1)) or standard (400 μmol mol(-1)) [CO(2)], being irrigated with a nutrient solution containing 0, 60 or 120 mM NaCl. The biomass enhanced ratio, leaf net CO(2) assimilation and stomatal conductance, leaf NO(3)(-) and Cl(-) concentrations and leaf free amino acid profile were analyzed in relation to the pattern of δ(13)C, under different saline stress conditions. The results indicate that at high [CO(2)]: (i) salinity tolerance was enhanced, but the response was strongly cultivar dependent, (ii) leaf NO(3)(-) concentration was increased whilst Cl(-) and proline concentrations decreased, and (iii) leaf δ(13)C was highly correlated with plant dry matter accumulation and with leaf proline concentration, leaf gas exchange and ion concentrations. This study shows that δ(13)C is a useful tool for the determination of the salinity tolerance of tomato at high [CO(2)], as an integrative parameter of the stress period, and was validated by traditional physiological plant stress traits.

Heterosis, potence ratio and correlation of some important characters in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Five commercial tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivars and their ten F1 hybrids were used in order to detect the general performances and estimation the heterosis percentages, potence ratios, and phenotypic correlation coefficients among all possible pairs of some important tomato's characters. The obtained results reflected a range of significant variability for most of the traits studied. The general performances of the F1 hybrids reflected the presence of various degrees of dominance effects; i.e., partial- to over-dominance for the characters of plant height, number of primary branches per plant, pericarp thickness, fruit firmness, total soluble solids, ascorbic acid content, number of flowers per cluster, number of fruits per plant and total fruits yield per plant. Whereas, some others studied characters; i.e., fruit shape index, locules number per fruit and fruit weight, illustrated the presence of partial- to under-recessiveness; but, with different degrees. All 10 F1 hybrids had significantly higher number of fruits per plant and total fruits yield per plant than their respective mid-parental values, meanwhile for the other traits, hybrids exhibited average heterosis in both directions. The mid-parent heterosis varied from −16.04 to 29.75% for plant height, −5.74 to 20.95 for number of primary branches per plant, −34.72 to 15.18% for fruit shape index, −35.72 to 49.02% for number of locules per fruit, −9.22 to 25.88% for pericarp thickness, −5.02 to 15.21% for fruit firmness, −11.46 to 25.50 for total soluble solids, −1.26 to 15.66% for ascorbic acid content, −9.39 to 22.48% for number of flowers per cluster, 4.37 to 104.69% for number of fruits per plant, −32.78 to 11.29% for average fruit weight, 22.29 to 64.33% for total fruits yield per plant. Significant positive correlation between total fruits yield per plant and each of the number of flowers per cluster, number of fruits per plant and average fruit weight was detected. On the other side, significant negative correlation was observed between number of fruits per plant and fruit weight.

토마토 시들음병에 대한 효율적인 저항성 검정법 확립

This study was conducted to establish an efficient screening method for resistant tomato to Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL). The resistance degrees of the six commercial cultivars of tomato to the pathogen were evaluated by dipping roots of the seedlings in spore suspension of five FOL isolates. On the basis of the results, two cultivars (Dotaerangmaster, resistant cultivar to FOL race 1; Supersunload, resistant cultivar to FOL race 2) and two isolates (KACC40043, FOL race 2; TF104, FOL race 3) were selected for system establishment. The disease development of the FOL isolates on the cultivars according to several conditions including root wounding, incubation temperature, inoculum concentration and dipping period of roots in spore suspension was investigated. The resistance of each cultivar to the disease was a race-specific response and hardly affected by the tested conditions except for incubation temperature of 20°C. The optimum temperature for disease development caused by FOL was 25 to 30°C. On the basis of the results, we suggest that an efficient screening method for resistant tomato cultivars to Fusarium wilt is to dip the non-cut roots of tomato seedlings at two-leaf stage in spore suspension of 1 × 10 7 conidia · mL -1 for 0.5 hours and transplant the seedling to plastic pot with horticulture nursery media, and then to cultivate the plants in a growth room at 25°C for 3 weeks with 12 hours light a day.

Marker-Assisted Selection in Tomato Breeding

The cultivated tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L., is the second most consumed vegetable crop after potato and unquestionably the most popular garden crop in the world. There are more varieties of tomato sold worldwide than any other vegetable crop. Most of the commercial cultivars of tomato have been developed through phenotypic selection and traditional breeding. However, with the advent of molecular markers and marker-assisted selection (MAS) technology, tomato genetics and breeding research has entered into a new and exciting era. Molecular markers have been used extensively for genetic mapping as well as identification and characterization of genes and QTLs for many agriculturally important traits in tomato, including disease and insect resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and flower- and fruit-related characteristics. The technology also has been utilized for marker-assisted breeding for several economically important traits, in particular disease resistance. However, the extent to which MAS has been employed in public and private tomato breeding programs has not been clearly determined. The objectives of this study were to review the publically-available molecular markers for major disease resistance traits in tomato and assess their current and potential use in public and private tomato breeding programs. A review of the literature indicated that although markers have been identified for most disease resistance traits in tomato, not all of them have been verified or are readily applicable in breeding programs. For example, many markers are not validated across tomato genotypes or are not polymorphic within tomato breeding populations, thus greatly reducing their utility in crop improvement programs. However, there seems to be a considerable use of markers, particularly in the private sector, for various purposes, including testing hybrid purity, screening breeding populations for disease resistance, and marker assisted backcross breeding. Here we provide a summary of molecular markers available for major disease resistance traits in tomato and discuss their actual use in tomato breeding programs. It appears that many of the available markers may need to be further refined or examined for trait association and presence of polymorphism in breeding populations. However, with the recent advances in tomato genome and transcriptome sequencing, it is becoming increasingly possible to develop new and more informative PCR-based markers, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), to further facilitate the use of markers in tomato breeding. It is also expected that more markers will become available via the emerging technology of genotyping by sequencing (GBS).

Host Plant Resistance to Tomato spotted wilt virus (Bunyaviridae: Tospovirus) in Tomato

Commercially available cultivars of tomato Solanum lycopersicum L. were field-tested for resistance to Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) over a 5-year period (from 2006 to 2010) at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station at Tifton, GA. Selected cultivars were transplanted each year into staked, black plastic mulch beds on drip irrigation in the spring of each year when the incidence of Tomato spotted wilt (TSW) tended to be highest. The presence of TSWV was confirmed by double antibody sandwich (DAS) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Also, the presence of thrips vectors was monitored using beat-cup sampling of foliage and flower samples. Tomato cultivars with the Sw-5 resistance gene provided high levels of control of TSW expression over all 5 years. However, these genotypes had no apparent effect on the thrips vectors, western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), and tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Hinds), that transmit TSWV. Overall, the top 15 commercial tomato cultivars based on consistent TSW resistance and ranked from highest marketable fruit yield were: ‘Tycoon’, ‘Tous 91’, ‘Talladega’, ‘Red Defender’, ‘BHN 444’, ‘Nico’, ‘Carson’, ‘BHN 685 (Roma type)’, ‘Picus’, ‘Redline’, ‘Tribute’, ‘Quincy’, ‘BHN 640’, ‘BHN 602’, and ‘Top Gun’.

Resistance toTomato yellow leaf curl virusAccumulation in the Tomato Wild RelativeSolanum habrochaitesAssociated with the C4 Viral Protein

Tomato yellow leaf curl disease (TYLCD) is a severe threat to tomato crops worldwide and is caused by Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and several other begomoviruses (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae). Host plant resistance is the best TYLCD control method but limited sources of resistance are available. In this study, two Solanum habrochaites TYLCD-resistance sources, EELM-388 and EELM-889, were found after a wide germplasm screening and were further characterized. A consistent resistance to the widely distributed strain TYLCV-IL was observed when plants were inoculated by Bemisia tabaci or by agroinoculation using an infectious clone, with no symptoms or virus accumulation observed in inoculated plants. Moreover, the resistance was effective under field conditions with high TYLCD pressure. Two independent loci, one dominant and one recessive, were associated with EELM-889 resistance. The study shows these loci to be distinct from that of the resistance gene (Ty-1 gene) commonly deployed in commercial tomato cultivars. Therefore, both kinds of resistance could be combined to provide improved resistance to TYLCD. Four additional TYLCD-associated viruses were challenged, showing that the resistance always prevented symptom expression, although systemic infection could occur in some cases. By using chimeric and mutant expression constructs, the C4 protein was shown to be associated with the ability to result in effective systemic infection.

Study on reactions of 10 cultivars of tomato to the aggressive isolate of tomato spotted wilt virus in North-East of Iran

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is a causal agent of a devastating disease of many crops including tomato in Iran, but there is not enough information on disease control especially by using resistant cultivars. Twenty isolates of TSWV collected in North-east of Iran (Mashhad area) were evaluated for symptom severity. One severe isolate (M-5) was selected because of the distinct differences in its virulence and symptomatology on tobacco. M-5 isolate produced severe systemic necrosis, deformation and a lot of local lesions whereas the other isolates caused a few chlorotic spots and mild systemic symptoms. Distinct differences in the response of 10 selected commercial cultivars of tomato to this isolate were observed. BHN 555, showed a resistant reaction, whereas the other tomato cultivars; Cheff, Early urbana-y, Primo, Fallat III, Kingstone, Kal G early, Petopride-2, Petropride-5 and Super-H were susceptible to M-5 isolates. More isolates of TSWV and commercial cultivars of tomato should be studied to screen for most resistant ones against existed TSWV isolates in this geographic area and also for other regions of Iran.

Identification and mapping of quantitative resistance to late blight (Phytophthora infestans) in Solanum habrochaites LA1777

Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) can have devastating effects on tomato production over the whole world. Most of the commercial cultivars of tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, are susceptible. Qualitative and quantitative resistance has been described in wild relatives of tomato. In general qualitative resistance can more easily be overcome by newly evolved isolates. Screening of three S. habrochaites accessions (LA1033, LA2099 and LA1777) through a whole plant assay showed that accession LA1777 had a good level of resistance to several isolates of P. infestans. To explore the potential in this wild species, an introgression line (IL) population of S. habrochaites LA1777 was used to screen individual chromosome regions of the wild species by a detached leaf assay. Two major isolates (T1,2 and T1,2,4) were used and two parameters were measured: lesion size (LS), and disease incidence (DI). Substantial variation was observed between the individual lines. QTLs were identified for LS but not for DI. The presence of five QTLs derived from LA1777 (Rlbq4a, Rlbq4b, Rlbq7, Rlbq8 and Rlbq12) results in unambiguous higher levels of resistance. All QTLs co-localized with previously described QTLs from S. habrochaites LA2099 except QTL Rlbq4b, which is therefore a novel QTL.

Evaluation of common bean lines for their reaction to tomato yellow leaf curl virus-Ir2

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) can cause an economically relevant disease in the major tomato growing regions, and no resistance has been identified in commercial and wild tomato cultivars in Iran. In the present study, 34 common bean lines were screened for their reaction to TYLCV-Ir2 under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Bean plants were inoculated at the first trifoliate stage with viruliferous whiteflies ( Bemisia tabaci biotype B) and were then sprayed with an insecticide and maintained in whitefly-proof greenhouse. The inoculated plants were monitored for the development of symptoms and the presence of viral DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) four weeks after inoculation. Results revealed that out of the 34 lines, five were resistant. These lines exhibited either no symptoms or very mild symptoms and no viral DNA was detected in them by PCR. Two lines, which showed no typical disease symptoms but contained viral DNA, were identified as tolerant to TYLCV-Ir2. The vector feeding preference for common bean lines was assessed. Results indicated a significant difference in adult whitefly numbers among bean lines but there was no relationship between the number of whiteflies and disease symptom severity. The resistance to TYLCY-Ir2 expressed in common bean lines may be useful as source of resistance for the development of resistant commercial common bean cultivars.

Development of a simple and effective protocol for Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated leaf disc transformation of commercial tomato cultivars

The transformation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) through Agrobacterium tumefaciens is still far from being routine, particularly when it comes to commercial varieties. In the present paper, we present an efficient and simple protocol for leaf disc transformation of three Vietnamese tomato cultivars (DM8, MTS, FM372C) by comparing shoot regeneration media for expanding leaves and examining different parameters of inoculation, co-culture and selection conditions. The present transformation method requires neither feeder layers of cell suspension cultures nor pre-culture. The data clearly show that appropriate cytokinin- and auxin combinations and concentrations provide competent tissues for transformation. Supplementing of 8µM trans-zeatin and 5 µM indoleacetic acid (IAA) into pre-treatment, inoculation and co-culture media resulted in higher frequency of transformation and stronger GUS-expression than that of media supplemented with 4 µM trans-zeatin and 2 µM IAA. The experiments also exhibited that tomato leaf tissues were more sensitive to glufosinate after inoculation with Agrobacteria compared to the untreated controls, so a more sophisticated scheme for the glufosinate selection had to be established.

Identification in saudi arabia of pseudomonas corrugata, the tomato pith necrosis pathogen, and assessment of cultivar resistance and seed treatment

SUMMARY Tomato pith necrosis disease was observed on tomato plants grown in the AL-Kharj region of Saudi Arabia. Symptoms were yellowing and wilting of lower leaves, brown areas on stems and yellowish-brown discoloration of the pith. Three bacterial strains were isolated from the stems of tomato cv. Red Gold. These strains were identified as Pseudomonas corrugata based on morphological, physiological, biochemical, and pathogenicity tests, as well as Biolog analysis. Seven commercial tomato cultivars were evaluated for resistance to P. corrugata. Of these cultivars, Alambra was the only cultivar tested that was considered resistant, Antinea was partially resistant, Agora, Farah and JV15 were susceptible whereas Newton and Red Gold were highly susceptible. Chemical seed treatments were evaluated for efficacy of disinfestation of tomato seed that had been inoculated with P. corrugata. Bacteria were not detected when seeds were treated with 5% hydrogen peroxide for 5 or 15 min. Treatment of seed with 0.52% sodium hypochlorite for 5 and 15 min was relatively ineffective. When sodium hypochlorite was used at a 1% concentration for 15 min, the level of bacterial infestation was reduced by 92%. Hydrogen peroxide treatments at a 5% concentration reduced seed germination up to 11.4% compared with controls. However, no significant differences in seed germination were observed between control treatments (inoculated and non-inoculated seeds and non-treated seed) and any of the other chemical seed treatments when seeds were sown in sterilized soil in the greenhouse. Effective management strategies for pith necrosis caused by P. corrugata should include planting of a resistant cultivar, where feasible, and seed treatment with hydrogen peroxide (5% for 15 min) or sodium hypochlorite (1% for15 min).

Quantitative Comparison of Free and Bound Volatiles of Two Commercial Tomato Cultivars (Solanum lycopersicumL.) during Ripening

The changes in the profile of both free and glycosidically bound volatiles were studied in Moneymaker and Raf tomato cultivars during fruit ripening. The concentrations of 20 of 24 and of 27 of 30 compounds detected in the free volatile fraction (FVF) and glycosidically bound fraction (GBF), respectively, differed significantly between cultivars during ripening. Most free and bound volatiles increased during ripening in both cultivars. The contribution of each free volatile compound to the overall aroma was estimated by calculating its log U value, which indicated that only 11 compounds seem to exert a strong influence. Nine volatiles were detected exclusively in the GBF, among them geraniol, beta-citronellol, alpha-terpineol, and trans- and cis-linalool oxides. Nine other compounds were found to be more abundant in the GBF than in the FVF, their absolute levels varying between cultivars and stages of ripening. According to the log U values reached, of these nine compounds, linalool, 3-methyl-1-butanol, trans-2-hexenal, eugenol, and 2-phenylethanol may have an impact on tomato aroma upon release from their glycosidic conjugates. Sugars resulting from the enzymatic hydrolysis of the GBF were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. Rhamnose was the most abundant followed by arabinose, glucose, and xylose.

Antioxidant Composition of Red and Orange Cultivars of Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicon L): A Comparative Evaluation

Fourteen commercial cultivars of tomato were analyzed for their antioxidant composition. There was significant difference (p<0.05) in lycopene and phenolic contents between red and yellow cultivars. Red cultivars had higher lycopene content (2.735 to 6.552 mg 100g−1) than yellow cultivars (0.769 to 1.238 mg 100g−1). Mean total polyphenolic content and total antioxidant activity in red cultivars was also higher than those in yellow cultivars. Overall cherry tomatoes had highest phenolic content and appeared to be a promising cultivar in terms of their health promoting effects. The results highlight an existing unexploited variability in yellow tomato to improve their antioxidant properties.

Durability of Resistance in Tomato and Pepper to Xanthomonads Causing Bacterial Spot

Both hypersensitive and quantitative forms of resistance to the bacterial spot pathogens (Xanthomonas spp.) occur in pepper and tomato. Five resistance genes involved in hypersensitivity in pepper and four in tomato have been identified so far. The corresponding pathogen avirulence genes have been cloned and characterized, and features, including a propensity for accumulating mutations and at times, loss of plasmid-borne avirulence genes, are known to occur. The frequency of these changes affects race composition among pathogen populations and determines the durability of the corresponding plant resistance. At least four different species of Xanthomonas are known to cause bacterial spot, and these can differ in specific avirulence gene content. Quantitative or multigenic resistance has also more recently been researched and appears to be more durable than the hypersensitive resistance. Two recessive genes have been identified that yield a nonhypersensitive form of resistance in pepper and together can provide strong resistance. More emphasis is being given to transfer of quantitative trait resistance to commercial cultivars of both tomato and pepper.

Tomato infectious chlorosis virus

<i>Tomato infectious chlorosis virus</i>

Reação de cultivares comerciais de tomateiro à mancha-fuliginosa

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar, dentre as cultivares comerciais de tomateiro Débora plus, Duradoro, IPA 6, Santa Clara e San Vito, quais apresentavam resistência à mancha-fuliginosa (Pseudocercospora fuligena), uma doença incomum no Brasil. O experimento foi conduzido em cultivo protegido e casa-de-vegetação. A sintomatologia da doença apresentou variações, dependendo da cultivar. Em condições de campo foram evidenciados índices médios de severidade entre 16 a 22% de área foliar lesionada. Os resultados demonstraram que, dentre as cultivares testadas, Duradoro e San Vito apresentaram maior resistência à mancha-fuliginosa e, Débora plus, maior grau de suscetibilidade.

Susceptibility of the Tomato Mutant High Pigment-2dg (hp-2dg) to Orobanche spp. Infection

The consumption of natural products with potential health benefits has been continuously growing, and enhanced pigmentation is of major economic importance in fruits and vegetables. The tomato hp-2 ( dg ) is an important mutant line that has been introgressed into commercial tomato cultivars marketed as lycopene rich tomatoes (LRT) because of their enhanced fruit pigmentation, attributed to higher levels of carotenoids, including lycopene. Strigolactones are signaling compounds that mediate host finding in root parasitic plants and are biosynthetically derived from carotenoids. Considering the high carotenoid content of the hp-2 ( dg ) mutant, we studied its susceptibility to the root parasite Orobanche. In a field experiment, the average number of Orobanche aegyptiaca plants growing on hp-2 ( dg ) was surprisingly significantly reduced compared with its isogenic wild-type counterpart. In vitro assays and LC-MS/MS analysis showed that this reduction was associated with a lower production of strigolactones, which apparently renders the high-carotenoid hp-2 ( dg ) mutant less susceptible to Orobanche.

Tissue specialization at the metabolite level is perceived during the development of tomato fruit

Fruit maturation and tissue differentiation are important topics in plant physiology. These biological phenomena are accompanied by specific alterations in the biological system, such as differences in the type and concentration of metabolites. The secondary metabolism of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit was monitored by using liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to photo-diode array (PDA) detection, fluorescence detection (FD), and mass spectrometry (MS). Through this integrated approach different classes of compounds were analysed: carotenoids, xanthophylls, chlorophylls, tocopherols, ascorbic acid, flavonoids, phenolic acids, glycoalkaloids, saponins, and other glycosylated derivatives. Related metabolite profiles of peel and flesh were found between several commercial tomato cultivars indicating similar metabolite trends despite the genetic background. For a single tomato cultivar, metabolite profiles of different fruit tissues (vascular attachment region, columella and placenta, epidermis, pericarp, and jelly parenchyma) were examined at the green, breaker, turning, pink, and red stages of fruit development. Unrelated to the chemical nature of the metabolites, behavioural patterns could be assigned to specific ripening stages or tissues. These findings suggest spatio-temporal specificity in the accumulation of endogenous metabolites from tomato fruit.