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    CARBON USE EFFICIENCY

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  SUPER-DWARF CROPS

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    IMAGING

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    LIGHT STUDIES

  TURFGRASS RESEARCH
    FOR LOW LIGHT

RESEARCH: SUPER DWARF CULTIVAR STUDIES: TOMATO

BACK TO DWARF CROPS

'Micro-Tina' was developed at the University of Florida - Bradenton, and extensively tested at Utah State University.  Micro-Tina's short height, high yield, and good flavor make it excellent for fresh food in the space station.

GENERAL INFO / RECOMMENDED CULTURAL CONDITIONS:

          HEIGHT:
          LIFE CYCLE:
          TEMPERATURE:
          PPF:
          PHOTOPERIOD:

20 to 25 cm
flowering: ~ 25 days; red fruit: ~ 45 days after flowering
25 to 28 °C day; 20 to 23 °C night
200 to 1500 μmol m^-2 s^-1
16-h

CLICK ON TITLES TO VIEW ABSTRACTS:

• Temperature Effects on Ethylene Sensitivity in Dwarf Tomatoes
  Tim Hudelson, S. Klassen, and B. Bugbee - 2003
  Habitation Meeting
  Jan, 2004; Orlando, FL

ABSTRACT  The sensitivity of wheat to C₂H₄ appears to be influenced by temperature.  A previous study showed that yields of USU-Apogee and USU-Perigee wheat were significantly reduced by 100 nmol mol^-1 C₂H₄ (0.1 ppm; 100 ppb), and that sensitivity decreased with increasing temperature (unpublished data).  This study examined C₂H₄-temperature interactions in Red Robin and Micro-Tina tomatoes at 0, 10, and 30 nmol mol^-1 and 22 and 28 ^oC.  Treatments were randomly assigned to twelve flow-through, 0.17 m², acrylic chambers, which were divided into equal halves for both cultivars.  The system was located in a greenhouse and received 29 mol m^-2 d^-1 PPF from supplemental HPS lighting and five to 12 mol m^-2 d^-1 PPF from sunlight.  CO₂ was elevated to 1200 µmol mol^-1, and temperature was maintained at +/- 1^oC of the set point.  C₂H₄ treatment began on day 18 after emergence, three days before flowering, temperature treatment began on day 20, and both were maintained for the duration of the study.  C₂H₄-sensitivity appeared to decrease more dramatically with increasing temperature for Red Robin than for Micro-Tina.  At 22 ^oC, Red Robin yield in the 30 nmol mol^-1 treatment was about 42% less than control with no apparent decrease at 28^oC.  Micro-Tina yield in the 30 nmol mol^-1 treatment decreased by about 22% at 22^oC with no apparent decrease at 28^oC.  Red Robin yield was 20 to 60% less than Micro-Tina in all treatments.  Both cultivars had 40 to 60% higher yield at 22 than at 28 ^oC.  These trends were similar when expressed as fruit number and dry mass.  Ground cover fraction was measured with a digital camera and was reduced by only about 5% at 30 nmol mol^-1 in both cultivars.  The C₂H₄ sensitivity of yield appears to decrease with increasing temperature in both Red Robin and Micro-Tina, but the interaction does not appear to be as dramatic in the higher yielding Micro-Tina cultivar. 

• Temperature Sensitivity of Four Tomato Cultivars
  Jonathan Frantz, J. Robinson, and B. Bugbee

We evaluated 4 tomato cultivars, selected based on height ('Red Robin' and 'Micro-Tom') and familiarity ('Pixie' and 'Reimann Philipp') for their sensitivity to temperature.  Each cultivar was grown in four 12-cm pots from seeding to form canopies in either 30/25 or 25/20 C day/night temperature.

• Response of Micro-Tom to Low Light
  Jonathan Frantz, J. Robinson, and B. Bugbee

Yield is proportional to light absorption, but maximum light cannot always be supplied to crops in either space station production settings or in teaching situations.  It is therefore important to determine how crops grow in light-limited conditions.  ‘Micro-Tom’ tomato was grown in fluorescent light under shade cloth to provide 100, 200, and 300 umol m^-2 s^-1 for 16-h photoperiods at 26/22 oC for 117 days.

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