Summary:
Four early- and 9 mid-maturity variety tests were conducted throughout
major processing tomato production regions of California during
the 2002 season. An additional mid-maturity test (Colusa County)
was lost due to poor seedling emergence. All of the major production
areas, from Kern to Sutter/Colusa Counties, had one or more field
tests to identify tomato cultivars appropriate for that specific
region.
Increasing industry interest in the use of transplants has led
us to incorporate this production technique into our variety evaluation
program, where appropriate. Three of the mid-season test sites (Colusa,
San Joaquin and Yolo Counties) utilized transplants. Two of the
locations conducted both direct-seeded and transplant mid-season
tests.
The highest yielding early- maturing replicated varieties, across
all locations, were H1100, H9997, H1400, H9280 and APT410. The overall
highest yielding mid-maturing replicated varieties when the Fresno1
and Kern locations are also included for a total of nine locations
were H9780, PX849, H8892, SUN6324, H9665 and CXD222. However, these
two locations did not receive seed of the varieties AB2 and AB5
in time to include in the tests. When the seven locations including
those varieties are evaluated, the highest yielding variety is AB5.
Objectives:
The objectives have remained the same since this program was initiated
over 26 years ago: to conduct well-designed, replicated varietal
performance field tests throughout major California processing tomato
production regions. The primary way of accomplishing that is the
evaluation of recently-developed and industry standard cultivars.
Parameters of particular interest include fruit quality (soluble
solids, pH and color), fruit yields, disease resistance/tolerance
and plant architecture. These tests are designed and conducted with
input or collaboration from seed companies, processors, producers
and other industry partners, and are intended to generate information
useful for making intelligent variety selection management decisions.
Procedures:
Tests were established in commercial production fields with grower
cooperators. The tests included 6 observational and 10 replicated
early-maturity entries and 20 observational and 17 replicated entries
in the mid-maturity tests (Tables1A and 1B).
Early-maturing tests were planted during February and mid-maturity
tests were planted from February to early May. New varieties usually
were screened one or more years in non-replicated, observational
tests before being selected for testing in replicated trials. Tests
are primarily established in commercial production fields with grower
cooperators. A common set of varieties are utilized in all of the
tests, and individual Farm Advisors have the latitude to add to
this core-group, to meet specific local unique needs.
Each variety is usually planted in a one-bed wide by 100 foot long
plot. The replicated varieties are planted in four randomly selected
plots and the observational varieties in one non-replicated plot.
The plots are seeded/transplanted by the researcher, separately
from the remainder of the field outside of the test area. All cultural
operations, with the exception of planting and harvesting, are done
by the grower/cooperator and are consistent with what is done to
the remainder of the field.
All variety trials were furrow irrigated after seedling establishment,
except the Sutter test, which was sprinkler irrigated the entire
season. The early maturity Contra Costa and mid season San Joaquin
and Yolo County tests received ethephon applications to hasten ripening.
A field day, or arrangements for interested persons to visit the
plots, occurred at all of the tests. Shortly before or during harvest,
fruit samples were collected from all plots and submitted to PTAB
for soluble solids, color and pH determinations.
The plots were harvested with commercial harvest equipment (except
the San Joaquin trial and the early and one mid maturity trial at
the Westside Field Station in Fresno), using GT wagons, equipped
with weigh cells, to obtain plot weights.
The data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance
procedures and reports of results will be disseminated to all factions
of the California processing tomato industry through individual
newsletters, regional production meetings, CTRI Director meetings,
media and other methods.
Results
Results are presented in the following tables for the combination
of all locations and for individual trials:
Table 2: A-E Early-Maturity Observational: Yield, Brix, Brix-Yield,
Color, pH
Table 3: A-E Early-Maturity Replicated: Yield, Brix, Brix-Yield,
Color, pH
Table 4: A-E Mid-Maturity Observational: Yield, Brix, Brix-Yield,
Color, pH
Table 5: A-J Mid-Maturity Replicated: Yield, Brix, Brix-Yield, Color,
pH
Early-Maturing Observational Varieties
The average fruit yield for all observational varieties across the
4 trial locations was 39.6 tons/acre. Yields were not significantly
different among varieties (Table 2A), although there was an 8 ton/acre
difference between the highest and lowest yield.
The average brix level across all locations and varieties was 4.9%.
The varieties with the highest brix levels were Highpeel45, SUN6358,
APT410 and AP957 (Table 2B).
The average brix-yields were 1.93 tons/acre (Table 2C). There was
no statistical separation among the varieties. The average PTAB
color across locations/varieties was 25.8 (Table 2D). There was
no statistically significant separation among the varieties.
The pH levels were not significantly different between observational
varieties (Table 2E). The average fruit pH for all locations and
varieties was 4.34. Fruit pH was not measured at the Contra Costa
location.
Early-Maturing Replicated Varieties
The average fruit yield for all replicated varieties across the
4 trial locations was 43.5 tons/acre. Highest yielding varieties
included H1100, H9997, H1400, 9820 and APT410 (Table 3A). Note there
was a significant interaction among varieties and locations, meaning
that the relative ranking of varieties differed significantly among
locations.
The average soluble solids (brix) level across locations and varieties
was 5.0%. The varieties with the highest brix levels were H9888,
HyPeel45, PS816, H1400 and CTRI1056 (Table 3B). Brix levels were
consistent between locations.
The highest brix-yields were obtained with H1400, PS816, H1100,
Hypeel45 and H9888 (Table 3C). The average brix-yields were 2.17
tons/acre.
Varieties with the lowest PTAB color were H9997, CXD224, H9888,
APT410 and H1400 (Table 3D). Fruit color averaged 26.3 across all
varieties and locations.
Mid-Maturing Observational Varieties
Yield data from observational varieties were analyzed for 8 locations.
The average fruit yield for all observational varieties across the
8 trial locations was 38.8 tons/acre. The two highest yielding varieties
were U729 and BOS24675, but there were an additional 9 varieties
grouped with these two leaders (Table 4A).
The average brix level across all locations and varieties was 5.2%.
The two varieties with the highest brix levels were PS296 and CXD207,
but again an additional 6 varieties were in this group (Table 4B).
The highest brix-yields were obtained with H9995, U729, PS296 and
ENP113, but included 8 others (Table 4C). The average brix-yields
were 1.93 tons/acre.
The two varieties with the lowest PTAB color readings were CXD207
and H1300, but an additional 6 were also in the group (Table 4D).
The average across locations and varieties was 23.3.
Varieties with the lowest pH were PS296, H9995 and Hypeel347 (Table
4E). The average fruit pH for all locations and varieties was 4.38.
Mid-Maturing Replicated Varieties
There are two sets of data tables for the mid maturity replicated
variety results. One set includes all nine test locations, including
two (Fresno1 and Kern) that did not contain two varieties that were
in the remaining seven tests. The other data set excludes the Fresno1
and Kern data but includes the two additional varieties. This was
done because one of the varieties not tested in Fresno1 or Kern
was the highest average yielding variety for the other seven sites.
The average fruit yield for all replicated varieties across the
9 trial locations was 37.9 tons/acre. The highest yielding varieties
were H9780, PX849, H8892, SUN6324 and H9665 (Table 5A). There was
a significant variety by location interaction, meaning that the
relative ranking of varieties differed among locations.
The average fruit yield for all replicated varieties when the Fresno1
and Kern sites are excluded was 42.0 tons/acre. The highest yielding
variety was AB5 (Table 5B). There was a significant variety by location
interaction, meaning that the relative ranking of varieties differed
among locations.
The average brix level across the nine locations and varieties
was 5.2. The varieties with the highest brix level were CXD221,
AP938 and CTRI1056 (Table 5C). A significant variety times location
interaction was found for fruit brix.
The average brix level across the seven locations and varieties
was 5.1. The variety with the highest brix level was CXD221 (Table
5D). A significant variety times location interaction was found
for fruit brix.
The highest brix-yields (nine locations) were obtained with H9780,
SUN6324, PX849, CXD222 and H8892 (Table 5E). The average brix-yields
were 1.93 tons/acre.
The highest brix-yield (seven locations) was obtained with AB5
(Table 5F). The average brix-yields were 2.16 tons/acre.
The varieties with the lowest PTAB color (9 locations) were H9998,
H2501, SUN6324, CTRI1056 and H8892 (Table 5G). The average PTAB
color across locations and varieties was 23.6
The varieties with the lowest PTAB color (7 locations) were H9998,
CTRI1056 and H2501 (Table 5H). The average PTAB color across locations
and varieties was 23.1
Varieties with the lowest fruit pH (9 locations) were H9780 and
PX849 (Table 5I). The average fruit pH for all locations and varieties
was 4.38.
Varieties with the lowest fruit pH (7 locations) were H9780, AB5,
PX849, AB2 and H9665 (Table 5J). The average fruit pH for all locations
and varieties was 4.38.
Acknowledgements
We thank the CTRI and participating seed companies for continued
support. We appreciate PTAB cooperation and evaluation of our fruit
samples. We could not conduct these tests without the ongoing support
of the processors. We rely heavily on the statistical expertise
of Gail Nishimoto. We thank the many grower cooperators who were
involved with these trials: Button and Turkovich Ranches, Crettol
Farms, Emerald Farms, Live Oak Farms, Marca Bella Farms, J.H. Meek
and Sons, Michelena Farms, Joe Muller and Sons, Poundstone Brothers,
Roma Farms, and Simoni and Massoni Farms.
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Table 1A. Early-maturing test varieties
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Table 1B. Mid- maturing test varieties
* This information supplied by seed companies and accurate, to the
best of our knowledge.
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Table 2A. FRUIT YIELD DATA FOR EARLY-MATURITY
OBSERVATIONAL VARIETIES
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Table 2B. FRUIT BRIX FOR EARLY-MATURITY OBSERVATIONAL
VARIETIES
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Table 2C. FRUIT BRIX - YIELD FOR EARLY-MATURITY
OBSERVATIONAL VARIETIES
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Table 2D. FRUIT COLOR FOR EARLY-MATURITY OBSERVATIONAL
VARIETIES
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Table 2E. FRUIT pH FOR EARLY-MATURITY OBSERVATIONAL
VARIETIES
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Table 3A. FRUIT YIELD FOR EARLY-MATURITY REPLICATED
VARIETIES
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Table 3B. FRUIT SOLUBLE SOLIDS FOR EARLY-MATURITY
REPLICATED VARIETIES
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Table 3C. FRUIT BRIX FOR EARLY-MATURITY REPLICATED
VARIETIES
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Table 3D. FRUIT COLOR FOR EARLY-MATURITY REPLICATED
VARIETIES
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Table 3E. FRUIT pH FOR EARLY-MATURITY REPLICATED
VARIETIES
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