Additional illumination before and temperature after planting of early tomatoes.

Abstract

Tomato plants raised with and without additional light were grown subsequently at 4 temperature regimes. Growth of stems and side shoots was not affected by extra light, but was faster at higher than at lower temperatures, resulting in longer internodes. Leaf numbers below a given truss were reduced by 2 following extra illumination. Trusses of plants raised with extra light flowered earlier, but produced less fruit (by weight) than did trusses on plants raised without extra light. The same effects were observed for lower trusses compared with higher ones and for trusses grown at higher temperatures compared with those grown at lower temperatures. The additional light accelerated ripening by 4-5 days, and an increase of 2 degrees C. in temperature accelerated ripening by 10-12 days. No interaction was found between the applied light and temperature treatments.-Lab. Tuinbouwpl., Wageningen. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)