TOMATO TRANSPLANT HEIGHT RESTRICTION WITH ABA HAS NO DELETERIOUS EFFECT ON CROP YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY

摘要

Processing tomato transplants produced in the greenhouse for establishing field crops, always require a high level of management to restrain extension growth to prevent the seedlings from becoming too tall and spindly, especially on hot sunny afternoons. Absiscic acid (ABA) can Inhibit extension growth of seedlings and was therefore tested for its usefulness as a management tool to restrict height of tomato seedlings in the greenhouse during transplant production. Transplant height was effectively reduced to about 2/3 the height of control seedlings by repeated applications of ABA at concentrations of 10~(-4) M. The ABA-treated transplants were used to establish a tomato crop outdoors. Neither the yield of tomatoes nor the tomato fruit soluble solids were affected by the ABA treatment during transplant production.