Effects of Water Application Rates, Plastic-Mulch, and Staking on Size Arrangements of Mature Green Tomatoes Under Drip Irrigation

Abstract

Size arrangements, percentage distribution of fresh harvested mature green tomatoes and vitamin A content were evaluated for plastic mulched-staked (PS), plastic mulched-nonstaked (PNS), non-mulched-staked (NPS), and nonmulched- nonstaked (NPNS) tomatoes under drip irrigation in wet, moist and dry treatments, respectively. Percentage distribution of number of fruits was highest in USDA fruit size class No. 6 for all treatments and subtreatments. For all treatments, the average fruit weight was highest during the second picking in the NPNS, NPS and PNS plots compared to the first picking in the PS plots. The dry treatment gave highest percentage of US grade I tomatoes in the NPNS and PS plots compared to that of the moist treatment in the NPS and the wet treatment in the PNS plots, respectively. The vitamin A content was highest in NPNS plots for wet and moist treatments, and in PS plots for dry treatment. The PS plots in the wet and moist treatments, and NPS plots in the dry treatment gave the lowest values of vitamin A content.