TEMPERATURE AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION IN RELATION TO FLOWERING AND FRUIT SET IN TOMATOES UNDER HOT ARID CONDITIONS OF THE SUDAN

The study was initiated to test flowering and fruiting of two tomato cultivars, Ace and Chico, in a series of planting dates from October 1973 until July 1974.

The number of leaves preceding the first inflorescence were relatively fewer during January and June which were periods of temperature extremes.
Significant differences were found between the two cultivars for most of the parameters tested.

There was a consistent decline in the number of flowers formed from December to June in both Chico and Ace.
The greatest number of flowers was obtained from December planting.
Nitrogen fertilization did not influence the number of flowers formed in the first three trusses.

Plantings made during October and December gave higher fruit set in both cultivars, whereas in January and the subsequent planting dates, fruit set was markedly low or completely lacking.

Tomatoes planted in March set fruits in the first and second truss at low nitrogen rates, but with higher rates of nitrogen fruit set was reduced in Chico and completely failed in Ace.

VIII African Symposium on Horticultural Crops

S.M.E. Satti, A.A. Abdalla

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1984.143.32