Variety traits

Tomato shattering

Solanum lycopersicum L.

A trait determining the strength of flower and fruit attachment to the plant through the formation of an abscission zone under hormonal regulation. It is of key importance for breeding varieties adapted to manual harvesting or mechanical harvesting.

In the reference 37 varieties crop Tomato, where this is mentioned in the description.

In tomatoes, shattering manifests through the formation of an abscission layer (abscission zone) in the pedicel, where the enzymes pectinase and cellulase break down cell walls under the influence of ethylene and auxin. This can be both a plant's protective reaction to stress, expressed as ovary drop, and a breeding characteristic that determines the ease of fruit detachment from the bush.

To assess fruit attachment strength, dynamometric tests are used, measuring the force required for detachment in newtons, taking into account the load application angle. For manual harvesting, the absence of premature fruit drop is important, whereas mechanical harvesting requires genotypes with a predictable type of detachment that ensures combine efficiency.

General information about the subject — on the page Shattering.

Sources8

Varieties of Tomato mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.