Abstract

CASIERRA POSADA, Fánor  and  CARDOZO, Maria Constanza. BASIC FRUIT GROWTH ANALYSIS OF FIELD-GROWN TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, cv. 'Quindío'). Rev. Fac. Nac. Agron. Medellín [online]. 2009, vol.62, n.1, pp.4815-4822. ISSN 0304-2847.

Crop management can be really improved by the analysis of crop growth. Particularly fruit growth represents a relevant element, because it is directly related with crop yield, and thus with the management of important techniques connected with harvesting, storing and commercialising. Moreover, it can be monitored non-destructively during the growing season. Fruit diameter is a very important index of fruit dynamics, and strongly related with the final yield. On these basis the analysis and modelling of fruit growth was carried out on field-grown tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, cv. 'Quindio') in Villa de Leyva, Colombia. From bloom to harvest time twenty fruits were weekly taked to determine dry weight, transversal and polar diameter, and total soluble solids; moreover the absolute and relative growth rate of dry matter, as well as the polar diameter / transversal diameter ratio were calculated. A regression analysis was done to determine the growth for each evaluated parameter. The dry weight, transversal and polar diameter, and total soluble solids showed a characteristic sigmoid shape. The relative growth rate decreased strongly from 8-15 to 15-22 time intervals (days) after bloom, later it decreased slowly until the harvest time. Obtained simulation outputs showed a good agreement with the observed data concerning fruit growth.

Keywords : Polar diameter; transversal diameter; absolute growth rate; relative growth rate.

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