Part
IV Tomato Production |
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| 12 |
Tomato
Introduction |
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Tomato
Plant Characteristics |
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•The
tomato is a warm season vegetable crop that is sensitive to
frost and is killed by freezing temperatures |
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Tomatoes
do not set fruit when night temperatures are consistently
below 50°F and will not develop properly when temperatures
exceed 95°F |
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•Tomatoes
can have either a determinate or indeterminate growth habit |
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Determinate
vines reach heights of 3-4', and harvest is concentrated
over a 4-6 week period
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Indeterminate
vines continue to produce additional vines and flower clusters
throughout the growing season; they reach 5-7' in height and
harvest, once begun, will continue until frost |
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•Tomato
plants do not need a specific day length in order to flower |
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Flowers
are self pollinating, but facilitated pollination by mechanical
shaking, wind, or insects will result in optimal pollination
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For
most tomato cultivars, the period between flowering and
harvest is approximately 45 days
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| Tomatoes
in High Tunnels |
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•Although
many vegetable crops can be grown successfully in high tunnels,
tomatoes are particularly well adapted to this type of culture
because they can be trained to grow vertically |
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•High
tunnels offer a level of protection from damaging winds and
injuring frosts that enhance early maturity, and produce a better-quality
product |
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Reduced
wind-abrasion injuries result in fewer points of entry for
insect and disease
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Protection
by the structure reduces evapotranspiration from plants
and soil
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•High
tunnel production is a middle ground between tomato plants
grown in the open field and tomato production in greenhouses |
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Tomato
production in an open field |
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Tomato
production in a high tunnel |
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Tomato
production in a greenhouse |
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| Economic
Importance/Marketing |
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•Earliness
and season extension are primary advantages of producing tomatoes
in high tunnels over field production |
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•Early
season tomatoes reward growers with premium prices since it
is difficult to consistently harvest field tomatoes before July
in the Central Great Plains |
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Tomatoes
grown in high tunnels can typically be harvested 3 to 4
weeks earlier than from field plantings
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Earlier
harvest is due to a combination of planting earlier, and
faster maturity compared to field grown tomatoes; increased
soil temperatures hastens root growth which contributes
to an earlier harvest
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•Late
season tomatoes can be harvested an additional 3 weeks in the
fall |
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While
late season tomatoes do not command the premium price of
early season tomatoes, the additional harvest period does
contribute to increased income for the grower
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