Articles
Evaluation of rootstocks and planting density for processing tomato production in Californias Central Valley
Article number
1351_23
Pages
143 – 148
Language
English
Abstract
Two field experiments were conducted over two years within a commercial processing tomato field in the northern San Joaquin Valley of California.
The trials evaluated performance of grafted tomatoes, with a focus on the evaluation of rootstocks and plant population density.
Grafting was conducted at a commercial nursery and trials were established using standard commercial transplanting equipment and practices which are typical for the region.
Experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four replications.
The primary evaluation metric was yield performance, although fruit quality and other parameters were measured.
Scions evaluated were popular commercial processing cultivars HM 3887, N 6428 and SVTM 1082. Rootstocks cultivars included Shield, Estamino, Maxifort, V90109, FusaPro, and two non-disclosed, pre-commercial rootstocks.
Non-grafted plants of each scion cultivar were included for comparison.
Plant population densities evaluated included the grower-cooperators standard of approximately 20,000 plants ha‑1 and a reduced plant population of approximately 10,000 plants ha‑1. Grafting increased yield by an average of 22%. The scion cultivar did impact yield; most rootstocks performed similarly with a few exceptions.
Halving the grafted plant population density did reduce yield in the 2020 experiment, but only by 7%, suggesting that the optimal population number is somewhere between these two numbers.
The trials evaluated performance of grafted tomatoes, with a focus on the evaluation of rootstocks and plant population density.
Grafting was conducted at a commercial nursery and trials were established using standard commercial transplanting equipment and practices which are typical for the region.
Experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four replications.
The primary evaluation metric was yield performance, although fruit quality and other parameters were measured.
Scions evaluated were popular commercial processing cultivars HM 3887, N 6428 and SVTM 1082. Rootstocks cultivars included Shield, Estamino, Maxifort, V90109, FusaPro, and two non-disclosed, pre-commercial rootstocks.
Non-grafted plants of each scion cultivar were included for comparison.
Plant population densities evaluated included the grower-cooperators standard of approximately 20,000 plants ha‑1 and a reduced plant population of approximately 10,000 plants ha‑1. Grafting increased yield by an average of 22%. The scion cultivar did impact yield; most rootstocks performed similarly with a few exceptions.
Halving the grafted plant population density did reduce yield in the 2020 experiment, but only by 7%, suggesting that the optimal population number is somewhere between these two numbers.
Publication
Authors
B. Aegerter, Z. Wang, G. Miyao
Keywords
grafting, yield response, commercial field
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