The Impact of Eight Hybrid Tomato Rootstocks on ‘BHN 589’ Scion Yield, Fruit Quality, and Plant Growth Traits in a Midwest High Tunnel Production System

Prior work in a Midwestern United States high tunnel indicated that hybrid and heirloom tomato scions grafted to hybrid rootstock ‘RST-04-106-T’ had a minimal yield increase in the absence of soilborne disease pressure, which underscored the need for continued regional trials of alternative, commerc...

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Main Authors: Kristine M. Lang, Ajay Nair, Kenneth J. Moore
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) 2020-05-01
Series:HortScience
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/55/6/article-p936.xml
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author Kristine M. Lang
Ajay Nair
Kenneth J. Moore
author_facet Kristine M. Lang
Ajay Nair
Kenneth J. Moore
author_sort Kristine M. Lang
collection DOAJ
description Prior work in a Midwestern United States high tunnel indicated that hybrid and heirloom tomato scions grafted to hybrid rootstock ‘RST-04-106-T’ had a minimal yield increase in the absence of soilborne disease pressure, which underscored the need for continued regional trials of alternative, commercially available tomato rootstocks. Objectives of the present study were to assess yield, fruit quality [pH, soluble solids content (SSC), total titratable acids (TTA), and firmness], and plant growth traits (plant height, stem diameter, and biomass) of grafted tomato with eight different hybrid rootstocks. ‘BHN 589’, a determinate hybrid tomato, was grafted to ‘Arnold’, ‘Beaufort’, ‘DRO141TX’, ‘Estamino’, ‘Maxifort’, ‘RST-04-106-T’, and two trial rootstocks, ‘946 TRS’ and ‘980 TRS’. Research was conducted April to September in 2017 and 2018 in a 9.1-m wide × 29.2-m long × 3.7-m tall single-poly high tunnel located at the Iowa State University Horticulture Research Station, Ames, IA. There were five plants per treatment in a randomized complete block design with five replications. Weekly harvests took place 13 times each season. ‘BHN 589’ grafted to ‘Arnold’, ‘Beaufort’, ‘DRO141TX’, ‘Estamino’, or ‘Maxifort’ had 30% to 119% more marketable fruit and had a higher marketable fruit weight by 1.3 to 4.1 kg per plant compared with nongrafted plants. Fruit quality differences were minimal in 2017 and null in 2018, as indicated by fruit pH, SSC, TTA, and the SSC:TTA ratio. The same five high-yielding rootstock treatments were the tallest, ranging from 184 to 214 cm in height. In 2017, shoot biomass of ‘BHN 589’ grafted to ‘Arnold’, ‘Beaufort’, ‘DRO141TX’, ‘Estamino’, and ‘Maxifort’ was 59 to 100 g more than that of nongrafted plants; in 2018, ‘BHN 589’ grafted to ‘Maxifort’ and ‘DRO141TX’ had the largest shoot biomass at 386 and 315 g, respectively. Overall, the results of this study indicate that ‘Arnold’, ‘DRO141TX’, and ‘Estamino’ may be comparable in performance to the widely used rootstocks ‘Beaufort’ and ‘Maxifort’ when grown under conditions lacking biotic or abiotic stress. Our results provide promising new options for Midwestern U.S. growers of high tunnel tomato who are seeking high-performing rootstocks.
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spelling doaj.art-fb213fe413c146adac4c7d5daac242502022-12-21T23:39:59ZengAmerican Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS)HortScience2327-98342020-05-01556936944https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI14713-20The Impact of Eight Hybrid Tomato Rootstocks on ‘BHN 589’ Scion Yield, Fruit Quality, and Plant Growth Traits in a Midwest High Tunnel Production SystemKristine M. LangAjay Nair Kenneth J. Moore Prior work in a Midwestern United States high tunnel indicated that hybrid and heirloom tomato scions grafted to hybrid rootstock ‘RST-04-106-T’ had a minimal yield increase in the absence of soilborne disease pressure, which underscored the need for continued regional trials of alternative, commercially available tomato rootstocks. Objectives of the present study were to assess yield, fruit quality [pH, soluble solids content (SSC), total titratable acids (TTA), and firmness], and plant growth traits (plant height, stem diameter, and biomass) of grafted tomato with eight different hybrid rootstocks. ‘BHN 589’, a determinate hybrid tomato, was grafted to ‘Arnold’, ‘Beaufort’, ‘DRO141TX’, ‘Estamino’, ‘Maxifort’, ‘RST-04-106-T’, and two trial rootstocks, ‘946 TRS’ and ‘980 TRS’. Research was conducted April to September in 2017 and 2018 in a 9.1-m wide × 29.2-m long × 3.7-m tall single-poly high tunnel located at the Iowa State University Horticulture Research Station, Ames, IA. There were five plants per treatment in a randomized complete block design with five replications. Weekly harvests took place 13 times each season. ‘BHN 589’ grafted to ‘Arnold’, ‘Beaufort’, ‘DRO141TX’, ‘Estamino’, or ‘Maxifort’ had 30% to 119% more marketable fruit and had a higher marketable fruit weight by 1.3 to 4.1 kg per plant compared with nongrafted plants. Fruit quality differences were minimal in 2017 and null in 2018, as indicated by fruit pH, SSC, TTA, and the SSC:TTA ratio. The same five high-yielding rootstock treatments were the tallest, ranging from 184 to 214 cm in height. In 2017, shoot biomass of ‘BHN 589’ grafted to ‘Arnold’, ‘Beaufort’, ‘DRO141TX’, ‘Estamino’, and ‘Maxifort’ was 59 to 100 g more than that of nongrafted plants; in 2018, ‘BHN 589’ grafted to ‘Maxifort’ and ‘DRO141TX’ had the largest shoot biomass at 386 and 315 g, respectively. Overall, the results of this study indicate that ‘Arnold’, ‘DRO141TX’, and ‘Estamino’ may be comparable in performance to the widely used rootstocks ‘Beaufort’ and ‘Maxifort’ when grown under conditions lacking biotic or abiotic stress. Our results provide promising new options for Midwestern U.S. growers of high tunnel tomato who are seeking high-performing rootstocks.https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/55/6/article-p936.xmlsolanum lycopersicumsoluble solids contenttotal titratable acids
spellingShingle Kristine M. Lang
Ajay Nair
Kenneth J. Moore
The Impact of Eight Hybrid Tomato Rootstocks on ‘BHN 589’ Scion Yield, Fruit Quality, and Plant Growth Traits in a Midwest High Tunnel Production System
HortScience
solanum lycopersicum
soluble solids content
total titratable acids
title The Impact of Eight Hybrid Tomato Rootstocks on ‘BHN 589’ Scion Yield, Fruit Quality, and Plant Growth Traits in a Midwest High Tunnel Production System
title_full The Impact of Eight Hybrid Tomato Rootstocks on ‘BHN 589’ Scion Yield, Fruit Quality, and Plant Growth Traits in a Midwest High Tunnel Production System
title_fullStr The Impact of Eight Hybrid Tomato Rootstocks on ‘BHN 589’ Scion Yield, Fruit Quality, and Plant Growth Traits in a Midwest High Tunnel Production System
title_full_unstemmed The Impact of Eight Hybrid Tomato Rootstocks on ‘BHN 589’ Scion Yield, Fruit Quality, and Plant Growth Traits in a Midwest High Tunnel Production System
title_short The Impact of Eight Hybrid Tomato Rootstocks on ‘BHN 589’ Scion Yield, Fruit Quality, and Plant Growth Traits in a Midwest High Tunnel Production System
title_sort impact of eight hybrid tomato rootstocks on bhn 589 scion yield fruit quality and plant growth traits in a midwest high tunnel production system
topic solanum lycopersicum
soluble solids content
total titratable acids
url https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/55/6/article-p936.xml
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