Effects of Each Irrigating Method and Training System on Radial Fruit Cracking in Summer and Fall Culture of Tomatoes under Plastic Canopy

Abstract

With the aim of elucidating the cause of the occurrence of radial fruit cracking in tomatoes cultivated in summer and fall under plastic canopies, we examined the effects of the differences in soil moisture with four irrigating methods and the effects of the differences in two training systems.
When foliage and fruits were exposed to scarce solar radiation, changes in soil moisture did not demonstrate and effect on the incidence of radial fruit cracking. However, it was observed that refuse radial fruit cracking tended to occur in enlarged fruits. When the foliage and fruits were exposed to abundant solar radiation under the same irrigating conditions, radial fruit cracking and refuse radial fruit cracking evidently tended to occur more frequently than that under limited solar radiation, irrespective of fruit size.
These facts suggest that radial fruit cracking in tomatoes cultivated in summer and fall occurs mostly in response to the solar radiation reaching the foliage and fruits, while changes in soil moisture affect the occurrence of radial fruit cracking relatively less.