Effects of mulching, pinching, and vine spreading on production of fresh market tomatoes

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted with the tomato cultivar Manapal during the 1971 and 1972 growing seasons to test the effects of mulching, pinching, and vine spreading on production of groundgrown, fresh market tomatoes.

Pinching out the apex of tomato plants 7 days after field setting in 1971 delayed fruit harvest but did not affect total yield or fruit quality. Pinching gave no better natural distribution of foliage over the soil surface than non-pinching and made spreading more difficult by stimulating vegetative growth.

Hand spreading the main branches of mature tomato vines prior to the first fruit harvest increased early season yield both years and increased total season yield in 1972 without affecting average fruit weight, percent marketable fruit, or percent ground scar and rot.

Mulching with polyethylene coated kraft paper in 1971 did not influence average fruit weight or yield for either the early or total harvest season. Mulching increased the percent marketable fruit for the cumulative harvest through August but did not affect quality for the total harvest season. Mulching with black plastic in 1972 did not affect average fruit weight, yield, percent marketable fruit, or percent ground scar and rot for either the early or total harvest season. Mulching with a combination of plastic and straw decreased the percent of ground scar and rot compared to non-mulching for the total harvest season without influencing average fruit weight or percent marketable fruit.