Effect of Season and Growth Regulators on Flowering, Fruit-Set and Development of the Tomato

Abstract

Two tomato varieties, Floralou and Marglobe, were treated with spray applications of N-m-tolylphthalamic acid at 0, 100, 200, and 300 p/m, and bnaphthoxyacetic acid at 0, 15, 25 and 35 p/m starting at anthesis for six consecutive weeks, totalling six applications. Flowers and quiescent fruits were more abundant during the summer but yield was lower. Growth regulators affected neither flowering nor number of quiescent fruits, but depressed yields. Winter was the best yielding season, although it was the poorest in flowering. B-naphthoxyacetic acid resulted in increased fruit size at the two higher concentrations. Seedless fruits of good quality were produced at the higher concentrations during summer and autumn. Results indicate that flower abscission is not a limiting factor under the conditions of this research.