Articles
Year-round production of tomato fruits by low node-order pinching and high-density planting in subtropical area in Japan
Article number
1296_59
Pages
457 – 462
Language
English
Abstract
We aim to establish a cultivation method for producing Japanese tomatoes throughout the year using a tunnel-type greenhouse.
It is difficult to produce tomatoes through a year under high air temperature and high relative humidity region like Asian monsoon including Japan.
In general, high daily mean temperature like 22°C or above induces decreasing tomato yield and fruit quality.
We approached this challenge by the low node-order pinching and high-density planting system which was pinched after flowering of the fourth truss to leave 2 leaves.
We cultivated Japanese tomato three times throughout the year at Ishigaki island which is at the southernmost tip of Japan belonging to the Asian monsoon area.
The first cultivation time(period I) was from January 18 to April 26, the second time(period II) was from June 26 to September 27 in 2018 and the third time (period III) was from October 18, 2018 to January 28, 2019. Distance between the plants was 0.143 m in the cultivation period I and III, but period II was adjusted to 0.125 m (plant density was 4.4 and 5.0 plants m‑1, respectively). And we obtained environment data in greenhouse and tomato morphological data in each cultivation.
We then analyzed the relationship between the cultivation environment and tomato growth.
As the daily mean temperature was getting higher, the fruit size was getting smaller and the dry matter allocation to the fruits tended to decrease.
Furthermore, we input the data we obtained by the experiments into the tomato growth model we created.
We continue to verify the effects of temperature and solar radiation on plant growth and yield.
It is difficult to produce tomatoes through a year under high air temperature and high relative humidity region like Asian monsoon including Japan.
In general, high daily mean temperature like 22°C or above induces decreasing tomato yield and fruit quality.
We approached this challenge by the low node-order pinching and high-density planting system which was pinched after flowering of the fourth truss to leave 2 leaves.
We cultivated Japanese tomato three times throughout the year at Ishigaki island which is at the southernmost tip of Japan belonging to the Asian monsoon area.
The first cultivation time(period I) was from January 18 to April 26, the second time(period II) was from June 26 to September 27 in 2018 and the third time (period III) was from October 18, 2018 to January 28, 2019. Distance between the plants was 0.143 m in the cultivation period I and III, but period II was adjusted to 0.125 m (plant density was 4.4 and 5.0 plants m‑1, respectively). And we obtained environment data in greenhouse and tomato morphological data in each cultivation.
We then analyzed the relationship between the cultivation environment and tomato growth.
As the daily mean temperature was getting higher, the fruit size was getting smaller and the dry matter allocation to the fruits tended to decrease.
Furthermore, we input the data we obtained by the experiments into the tomato growth model we created.
We continue to verify the effects of temperature and solar radiation on plant growth and yield.
Publication
Authors
H. Yamaura, S. Fujita, K. Ikeda, N. Takano, K. Kanno, S. Matsuo, T. Zhao, A. Nakano, Y. Iwasaki
Keywords
dry matter production, Asian monsoon, dry matter allocation to fruits, high daily mean temperature, high solar radiation, Japanese tomato cultivar
Groups involved
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Working Group Organic Greenhouse Horticulture
- Working Group Protected Cultivation, Nettings and Screens for Mild Climates
- Working Group Light in Horticulture
- Working Group Vegetable Grafting
- Working Group Computational Fluid Dynamics in Agriculture
- Working Group Mechanization, Digitization, Sensing and Robotics
- Working Group Modelling Plant Growth, Environmental Control, Greenhouse Environment
- Working Group Greenhouse Environment and Climate Control
- Working Group Design and Automation in Integrated Indoor Production Systems
- Commission Agroecology and Organic Farming Systems
- Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture
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