Outdoor Tomato Trials at Lincoln

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 84, Issue 1, 15 January 1952, Page 39

Outdoor Tomato Trials at Lincoln

By

G. PRIESTLEY,

Acting Vegetable Research Officer, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lincoln I

DURING the 1950-51 season 12 varieties of staked tomatoes and 16 varieties of dwarf tomatoes were grown in a replicated trial at the Vegetable Section of the Crop Research Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial. Research, Lincoln. Most of the varieties grown were those which had performed well at Lincoln in single-row observation trials in previous seasons and therefore warranted a more extensive trial. Varieties normally grown commercially were included for comparison.

THE following were the varieties grown: - Staked: Kondine Red, Potentate, 695, Gold Dust, Hundredfold, S x E.M., Woodwards Out of Door Wonder, Halls Stake, Stonors Exhibition, Corlys, Harbinger, and Potentate. Dwarf: Stonors Dwarf Gem, T x 14A, Early Jersey, Sioux, Clarks Special Early, Early Santa Clara, Scarlet Dawn, Delvins Choice, Pearson 29-17, Victor, Puck, Pearl Harbour, Premier, South Australian Dwarf, Tatinter, and New Tatura. Seed Sowing and Planting Seed of all varieties was sown on 14 September 1950, a seed compost made up as closely as possible to the recommended John Innes formula being used. Seedlings were raised under glass and all varieties were pricked out on 28 September into boxes containing a pricking-out compost similar to the John Innes prick-ing-out compost.

Plants were hardened off in cold frames and transplanted into the field on 15 and 16 November. The staked varieties were planted 3ft. apart each way, and staked individually. Dwarf varieties were planted 3ft. apart in rows 4ft. apart. A general fertiliser mixture was worked into the soil before planting.

A very strong north-easterly wind after planting caused some damage to the majority of the plants.

Three sprayings were carried out during the season, two with wettable D.D.T. and one with copper oxychloride.

The 1950-51 season was exceptionally wet and cold at Lincoln, the rainfall from November to April being 26.59 in., compared with an average of 12.30 in. Part of the area was under water on three occasions. As a result of the exceptional, wet conditions and lack of sunshine the dwarf varieties made far too much leaf growth, and much top growth had to be removed to allow the fruit to ripen. Also, much of the fruit on the dwarf varieties rotted on the ground before it could be picked, so that the season proved unsuitable for a fail' trial of dwarf tomatoes. However, despite adverse weather the majority of varieties gave a fairly good yield of good-quality fruit and their performance under adverse conditions could be noted.

The staked varieties were stopped after the fourth truss had formed to encourage ripening of the fruit.

Approximately 55 plants of each variety were grown, each row consisting of 11 plants of one variety, and each variety being replicated 4 times throughout the plot. Dwarf and staked varieties were grown in separate plots.

Picking, Grading, and Weighing

Fruit was picked regularly throughout the season. All fruit picked was graded by eye and the amount of fruit in each grade was weighed. This was done to get information on the average size of the fruit produced and on the amount of good, unblemished fruit that each variety could produce in an adverse season. Samples of fruit were also examined for inside quality. Details of the yield of each variety are shown in Table 1, on page 40. The following were the grades used: For Staked Varieties First grade dessert: Good-shaped, even fruit of good size and colour; fruit of more than 2|in. diameter and more than 2oz.

Second grade dessert: Good-shaped, even, medium to small fruit of less

than 2|in. diameter and less than 20z.; very small fruit (less than l|in. diameter) was not included.

Other marketable fruit: Fruit of irregular shape or slightly blemished fruit suitable for commercial purposes but not suitable for dessert; also very small fruit (less than Ijin. diameter).

For Dwarf Varieties

Since many of the dwarf varieties produce fruit mainly of a canning and sauc£ type, the designation “dessert” was not used in grading. A number of dwarf varieties, however, produced mainly dessert-type fruit and these are indicated in Table 2, on page 40. First grade: Fruit of more than 2|in. diameter and more than 2oz. but not necessarily of a smooth, even shape. Second grade: Fruit of less than 2|in. diameter and less than 2oz. Other marketable fruit: Rough fruit and slightly blemished fruit. Summary of Results Staked Varieties Yield: • Varieties which gave the highest total yield of marketable fruit and the highest average yield of dessert fruit per plant were S x E.M.,

Potentate, and Kondine Red. These three varieties gave an average of approximately 81b. of dessert fruit per plant. Varieties in which more than 50 per cent, of the total weight picked consisted of first-grade dessert fruit included Kondine Red, Potentate, Halls Stake, and 695. The last variety, however, gave a very low total yield and its performance was not considered good in a wet season. Varieties which produced consistently even fruit of medium dessert size and good shape and quality included Harbinger, Woodwards Out of Door Wonder, Hundredfold, Gold Dust, and S x E.M.

Earliness: The earliest variety to mature was Woodwards Out of Door Wonder, picking of which began approximately 3 weeks earlier than for the majority of varieties. Next were Harbinger and Hundredfold, picking of which began approximately a fortnight earlier than with Potentate. Picking of Woodwards Out of Door Wonder and Harbinger was completed about 3 weeks before harvesting of the other varieties was finished.

Woodwards Out ’. of Door Wonder, Harbinger, and

Hundredfold have been consistently early maturing at Lincoln for a number of seasons. Cracking: Most varieties showed considerable radial and circular cracking in the exceptionally wet season, but Kondine Red, S x E.M., and Halls Stake showed little or relatively none. The fruit of Stonors Exhibition was badly blemished by heavy rain. Dwarf Varieties Yield: The varieties which gave the highest average yield of first- and second-grade fruit per plant were New Tatura, Tatinter, and South Australian Dwarf, all of which averaged 12 to 131 b. of graded fruit per plant. The fruit, however, of all these varieties,

though mainly large, was irregular in shape and tended to be ribbed. Varieties which gave fairly good yields of smaller but well-shaped fruit suitable for dessert and table use included Premier, Victor, Stonors Dwarf Gem, and Puck. Earliness: The earliest-maturing dwarf variety in 1950-51 was Victor, which was a fortnight earlier than any other, dwarf variety. The varieties Pearson, Early Jersey, Early Santa Clara, Delvins Choice, and Pearl. Harbour were all rather late maturing for southern conditions, especially in a wet, cold season. Among the varieties under trial at Lincoln this season the following performed well:— Staked Varieties Potentate gave a good yield, producing mainly large fruit, but in the early part of the season the fruit was mainly of a poor, irregular shape. However, it improved considerably toward the middle of the season. Kondine Red gave a good yield of good-quality fruit. It showed very little cracking. S x E.M., a cross developed at Lincoln, shows promise as a good-yielding variety producing consistently even fruit of medium size and very good shape. It shows very little cracking in a wet season. Hundredfold proved a good early variety. It produced consistently even fruit of medium size. The fruit was of good quality and exceptionally uniform.

Harbinger: This is an outstanding early English variety, picking of which was completed about 3 weeks ahead of Potentate. Fruit was consistently even in size and shape and of very good quality, most of it being of medium size. The fruit was inclined to crack in a wet season. Dwarf Victor: This variety was outstanding for its earliness in the 1950-51 season at Lincoln, picking being begun a fortnight earlier than with any other dwarf variety. The fruit was mainly medium in size, smooth, and very regular in shape and suitable for table use. The average yield was good. Puck: This is an interesting, newly developed variety from England originally raised by the John Innes Research Station. The variety has very short, sturdy growth, with short internodes, and is not so spreading in habit as other dwarf varieties. The fruit is held fairly well off the ground. The fruit was, however, mainly medium size to small, although of a very good, smooth shape. Premier is a similar type of plant to Puck, but is slightly taller and produced fruit of better quality. Pearson 29-17: This variety is too late in maturity for southern districts, but the fruit is of very good quality, being mainly large and of a good, deep shape and very smooth and even. South Australian Dwarf, Tatinter, and New Tatura all gave high yields of canning-type fruit.

* 22 of the plants of the variety were planted out from the seed box without being pricked out, as there were insufficient prlcked-out plants for the whole plot.

* Varieties producing fruit suitable for table use.

Per Per Average yield cent, of cent, of dessert No. of Total yield I st-grade 2nd-grade fruit per First • Last plants marketable dessert dessert plant to picking picking Variety grown fruit fruit fruit nearest lib. date date lb. lb. Kondlne Red . . 52 442 55 38 8 16 Feb. 23 Apr. Harbinger . . 55 379 35 50 6 6 Feb. 14 Mar. Woodwards Out of Door Wonder . . 55 399 37 50 61 29 Jan. 16 Mar. Gold Dust . . 55 428 35 57 71 19 Feb. 9 Apr. Hundredfold . . 55 292 39 56 5 2 Feb. 9 Apr. Stonors Exhibition 55 325 49 42 51 19 Feb. 16 Apr. Potentate . . 55 448 53 40 71 23 Feb. 23 Apr. *695. . . 55 237 51 42 4 23 Feb. 23 Apr. Halls Stake . . 52 341 54 40 6 16 Feb. 9 Apr. Potentate . . 53 438 62 32 8 19 Feb. 23 Apr. Corlys . . 54 315 48 45 51 16 Feb. 16 Apr. S x E.M. .. 54 454 41 54 8 16 Feb. 23 Apr.

TABLE 1— CROPPING DETAILS OF STAKED VARIETIES

Variety Total yield marketable fruit picked from 44 plants lb. Per cent. 1st grade Average yield Last Per cent. picking 2nd grade date Average yield 1st- and 2ndPer cent, grade fruit 2nd grade per plant lb. First picking date Last picking date Clarks Special Early 4744 4741 58 58 37 37 101 27 Feb. 23 Apr. Scarlet Dawn .. 2731 66 28 6 6 19 Feb. 19 Feb. 23 Apr. 23 Apr. Pearson 29-17 . . 3041 59 35 61 61 6 Mar. 6 Mar. 23 Apr. 23 Apr. *Premier . . 321 17 74 61 61 27 Feb. 27 Feb. 23 Apr. 23 Apr. Early Jersey . . 396 71 26 9 9 6 Mar. 6 Mar. 23 Apr. 23 Apr. *Victor ... . . 639 27 51 111 Hl 6 Feb. 6 Feb. 29 Mar. 29 Mar. Early Santa Clara 324 324 75 . 75 21 21 7 6 Mar. 23 Apr. South Australian Dwarf 19 Feb. . . 619 29 Mar. Dwarf 56 619 37 56 13 37 13 19 Feb. 29 Mar. *Stonors Dwarf Gem 403 403 30 30 50 50' 71 19 Feb. 29 Mar. Delvlns Choice .. 147 70 28 31 31 15 Mar. 15 Mar. 23 Apr. 23 Apr. T x I4A . . 362 64 / 31 72 72 27 Feb. 27 Feb. 23 Apr. 23 Apr. Tatinter . . 569 64 33 121 i2i 19 Feb. 19 Feb. 23 Apr. 23 Apr. *Puck . . 360 36 50 7 7 19 Feb. 19 Feb. 23 Apr. 23 Apr. Sioux . . 492 74 23 II II 19 Feb. 19 Feb. 23 Apr. 23 Apr. Pearl Harbour . . 273 51 38 6 6 6 Mar. 6 Mar. 16 Apr. 16 Apr. New Tatura . . 612 70 27 131 131 23 Feb. 23 Feb. 23 Apr. 23 Apr.

TABLE 2—CROPPING DETAILS OF DWARF VARIETIES