Evaluation of Detachabilities of Calyx and Fruit Stalk in Cherry Tomatoes with Different Fruit Shapes by Maturation Period

Abstract

Since harvesting work of cherry tomatoes requires a lot of labor, harvesting without calyx and cluster harvest have been investigated as a labor-saving harvesting method. The character of cherry tomatoes suitable for labor-saving harvesting include the detachabilities of calyx and fruit stalk, and the relationship of these character with the fruit character and their varietal difference in the colorning have been reported. However, no evaluation has been performed in a variety with a different fruit shape or maturation period other than the colorning. In this study, aiming at breeding of cherry tomatoes suitable for labor-saving harvesting, the detachabilities of calyx and fruit stalk were evaluated by maturation period using 4 varieties with different fruit shapes. The adhesion of calyx was positively correlated with the weight and the transverse diameter of the fruit, and the adhesion of fruit stalk was positively correlated with the vertical diameter of the fruit respectively, suggesting that the fruit character are involved in the detachabilities of calyx and fruit stalk. Therefore, the fruit character may be utilized as an index to select a strain or variety in the breeding of a cherry tomato variety suitable for labor-saving harvesting in consideration of harvesting without calyx and cluster harvest. In addition, the adhesion of calyx tended to decrease with fruit maturation. Therefore, for labor-saving harvesting, it is necessary to investigate the harvest time, changes in fruit quality, and freshness retention in consideration the fruit maturation period.