Fruit growth, coloring and pigment formation in pink and red tomato [Lycopersicon esculentum] cultivars grown in an open field, a plastic greenhouse in the early summer.
1994
Johjima T. | Matsuzoe N.
Fruit growth, coloring and pigment formation of 13 cultivars of pink and red tomatoes were investigated. Fruit growth and development of each cultivar grown in an open field or in a plastic greenhouse showed a similar tendency. The weight of individual fruits at 30 days after flowering was more than 30% of the final weight of ripe fruits of that cultivar and the weight fruit at 40 days after flowering was more than 70% of the final weight of ripe fruit. At 45 days after flowering fruit weight was more than 80% of the final weight of ripe fruit, chlorophyll degradation had begun in the fruits, followed by carotenoid biosynthesis and the fruits were fully ripe within 7-10 days after reaching the turning stage. Color values, a/b ratio, of full-ripe fruits of pink and red tomato cultivars were 2.6-1.4 and 1.9-1.1, respectively. Color value of pink tomatoes was higher than that of red tomatoes. Pink and red cultivars contained 70-80 microgram colored carotenes per g fresh weight of full-ripe fruits grown in an open field or in a plastic greenhouse. Cultivars having a greater carotene content had better pigmentation after exposure to high temperature. The cultivars with a high carotene content included Fukuji No.2 and Saturn of pink tomatoes, and Moneymaker and Red Cherry of red tomatoes.
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