Decision time is coming for this year's tomato season. For many growers this is an easy choice. The have had good results with this growing schedule for years. Several factors play a role; such as energy costs, expected profit and the risk of tomato diseases. It has been proven that tomatoes for the summer season have an effect on decreasing the risk of the cucumber mosaic virus that becomes more intense with every year.
Weather Conditions
At the beginning of last year there was a huge difference in reproductivity between the crops planted in the early season versus planting in the later part of the season. This difference was caused by the weather conditions at the beginning of the summer. The weather conditions were poor early in the summer with comparatively higher temperatures. During the later planting, there were only a few weeks of sunny weather. This meant that crops planted later were more reproductively developed. This proves yet again that outside influences greatly influence the end result.Less nose rot
One of the outcomes of an early crop is that the blossoms develop later and that it takes many days for the plant to become reproductive. This results in more delicate fruit at the beginning of the harvest. The later plantings were very reproductive and needed a lot lower temperatures which significantly decreased their sensitivity to nose rot. We did notice that higher temperatures during cultivation caused some of the vines to split and be less attractive structure. Soupless in the summer
Last year most companies grew Soupless. This is a stocky variety with a high production yield that can be compared with the stockiest varieties. Souples has a good vegetative growth which means it needs more guidance when it comes to climate and labour. The vines of this variety split quickly and can have a denser tomato yield per vine. Soupless can handle a lot of vines at the same time while being grown which causes it to have a good production. Soupless is capable of growing many vines on a single plant, generating good yields. It is a good quality fruit with a good red colour and it is resistant to tearing. The nice green parts of the plant help make it a good plant. It is ready for harvest later than most varieties.Idooll en Komeett
Next to the Soupless, the famous Ruiterrassen, such as the Idooll en Komeett are also being grown. Both varieties are fairly similar and are more reproductive than the Soupless, whereby their blossoms on the vine requires three reproductive controls. After this it must be grown with strength in top of the plant.
Both varieties produce a high yield and are have good quality fruits. Due to the tendency to tear, we see great difference between the companies. Of course there are multiple factors that play a role, but it is clear that the EC is important during the growth. Start with a nice and high EC and keep it at a good level. Regularity in the EC, humidity and climate prevents a lot of problems and improves the general quality.
Prunus
Bron: Monsanto LivingNews