Abstract
Limited-cluster production systems may be a useful strategy to increase crop production and profitability for the greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). In this study, using an ebb-and-flood hydroponics system, we modified plant architecture and spacing and determined the effects on fruit yield and harvest index at two light levels. Single-cluster plants pruned to allow two leaves above the cluster had 25% higher fruit yields than did plants pruned directly above the cluster; this was due to an increase in fruit weight, not fruit number. Both fruit yield and harvest index were greater for all single-cluster plants at the higher light level because of increases in both fruit weight and fruit number. Fruit yield for two-cluster plants was 30% to 40% higher than for single-cluster plants, and there was little difference in the dates or length of the harvest period. Fruit yield for three-cluster plants was not significantly different from that of two-cluster plants; moreover, the harvest period was delayed by 5 days. Plant density (5.5, 7.4, 9.2 plants/m2) affected fruit yield/plant, but not fruit yield/unit area. Given the higher costs for materials and labor associated with higher plant densities, a two-cluster crop at 5.5 plants/m2 with two leaves above the cluster was the best of the production system strategies tested.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Two leaves above a single cluster gave 25% higher fruit yield than pruning directly above it.
- Taxon
- Tomato
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Treatment
- pruned to allow two leaves above the clustere0
- Outcome
- fruit yieldse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 25%e0
- Comparator
- plants pruned directly above the clustere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Single-cluster plants pruned to allow two leaves above the cluster had 25% higher fruit yields than did plants pruned directly above the cluster”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
The pruning yield benefit came from higher fruit weight.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- pruned to allow two leaves above the clustere1
- Outcome
- fruit weighte0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Comparator
- plants pruned directly above the clustere1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“this was due to an increase in fruit weight, not fruit number”
e1“Single-cluster plants pruned to allow two leaves above the cluster had 25% higher fruit yields than did plants pruned directly above the cluster”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit number did not explain the pruning yield benefit.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- pruned to allow two leaves above the clustere1
- Outcome
- fruit numbere0
- Comparator
- plants pruned directly above the clustere1
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“this was due to an increase in fruit weight, not fruit number”
e1“Single-cluster plants pruned to allow two leaves above the cluster had 25% higher fruit yields than did plants pruned directly above the cluster”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher light increased fruit yield in single-cluster plants.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- higher light levele0
- Outcome
- fruit yielde0
- Direction
- greatere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both fruit yield and harvest index were greater for all single-cluster plants at the higher light level”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher light increased harvest index in single-cluster plants.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- higher light levele0
- Outcome
- harvest indexe0
- Direction
- greatere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both fruit yield and harvest index were greater for all single-cluster plants at the higher light level”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher light increased both fruit weight and fruit number.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- higher light levele0
- Outcome
- fruit weight and fruit numbere0
- Direction
- increasese0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“at the higher light level because of increases in both fruit weight and fruit number”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Two-cluster plants had 30% to 40% higher yield than single-cluster plants.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- two-cluster plantse0
- Outcome
- Fruit yielde0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 30% to 40%e0
- Comparator
- single-cluster plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fruit yield for two-cluster plants was 30% to 40% higher than for single-cluster plants”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Two- and single-cluster plants had little difference in harvest timing or duration.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- two-cluster plantse1
- Outcome
- dates or length of the harvest periode0
- Direction
- little differencee0
- Comparator
- single-cluster plantse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there was little difference in the dates or length of the harvest period”
e1“Fruit yield for two-cluster plants was 30% to 40% higher than for single-cluster plants”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Three-cluster yield did not differ significantly from two-cluster yield.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- three-cluster plantse0
- Outcome
- Fruit yielde0
- Direction
- not significantly differente0
- Comparator
- two-cluster plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fruit yield for three-cluster plants was not significantly different from that of two-cluster plants”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Three-cluster production delayed the harvest period by 5 days.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- three-cluster plantse1
- Outcome
- harvest periode0
- Direction
- delayede0
- Value
- 5 dayse0
- Comparator
- two-cluster plantse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the harvest period was delayed by 5 days”
e1“three-cluster plants was not significantly different from that of two-cluster plants”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant density affected fruit yield per plant.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Plant density (5.5, 7.4, 9.2 plants/m2)e0
- Outcome
- fruit yield/plante0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Plant density (5.5, 7.4, 9.2 plants/m2) affected fruit yield/plant”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant density did not affect fruit yield per unit area.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Plant density (5.5, 7.4, 9.2 plants/m2)e0
- Outcome
- fruit yield/unit areae0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Plant density (5.5, 7.4, 9.2 plants/m2) affected fruit yield/plant, but not fruit yield/unit area”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors favored two clusters at 5.5 plants/m2 and two leaves above the cluster.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- a two-cluster crop at 5.5 plants/m2 with two leaves above the clustere0
- Qualifier
- best of the production system strategies testede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a two-cluster crop at 5.5 plants/m2 with two leaves above the cluster was the best of the production system strategies tested”
t0“Tomato”
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See all 72 papers →light · yield · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Positive and negative results
84 papers in the same direction as this paper · 18 in the opposite direction · 2 reporting no difference from an alternative
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See all 105 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.