Diseases

Blossom-end rot of tomato

Solanum lycopersicum L.

A physiological metabolic disorder caused by calcium deficiency in fruit tissues. It manifests as necrosis at the blossom end, where cell wall formation is disrupted.

In the reference 208 varieties crop Tomato, where this is mentioned in the description.

Blossom-end rot is not an infectious disease and involves no pathogens. The primary cause of the damage lies in disrupted calcium transport to the fruit apex, which leads to cell death in the zone of active division. Secondary infection by saprotrophic fungi may develop in already damaged necrotic tissues, but it is not the primary factor in disease development.

External symptoms appear as a watery, pale spot at the blossom end of the fruit, which eventually darkens and becomes sunken, forming a dry, leathery surface. A latent form is also possible, in which tissue damage occurs exclusively inside the seed cavities. There are no specific genes for resistance to this disorder in tomato, and breeding efforts are directed toward selecting genotypes with more efficient calcium distribution mechanisms.

Susceptibility of cultivars is closely related to fruit morphology: elongated and large-fruited forms are the most prone to the disorder. This is due to structural characteristics where the transport path of calcium to the apex is longer and more restricted.

General information about the subject — on the page Blossom-end rot.

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.