1.1 SINGLE VS DOUBLE ROW SPACING OF SIX PROCESSING TOMATO CULTIVARS

California direct seeds about 170 000 ha of processing tomatoes each year over a five-month period.
High plant populations and double row plantings were recommended as economical and practical in California in the 1970’s where open-pollinated seed was used and herbicides were controlling weeds.

The 1980’s brought about an increased use of hybrid seed at twenty times the cost of open-pollinated cultivars.
Today, about one-half of California’s tonnage comes from hybrid cultivars.
Weed species in the tomato family have exploded and labor costs have steadily increased.

Results of our research have shown that larger vined cultivars (most are hybrids) at lower plant populations and/or single row planting yielded as well as double rows with the high populations recorded in the 1970’s.
Single row plantings can reduce hybrid seed costs by more than 50% and weed control costs 4 to 5 times when tomato herbicide resistant weeds are present.

III International Symposium on Processing Tomatoes

D.M. May, J. Valencia

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1990.277.10