The growth of young tomato fruit. II. Environmental influences on glasshouse crops grown in rockwool or nutrient film

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Abstract
Tomato plants were grown in semi-commercial glasshouse conditions in either nutrient film solutions (adjusted with sodium chloride to give a range of electrical conductivities from 3 to 17 mS cm"1) or in a commercial rockwool system. The diurnal changes in expansion rate of young fruit growing on these plants were measured throughout a season using displacement transducers. Fruit expansion rate during the early season period of minimal transpirational demand (April) was determined mainly by temperature and was not closely related to the salinity of the nutrient solution. During mid-season (late May to August) the water status of the plants, determined both by nutrient conductivity and transpirational demand, had the greatest influence on growth rate, reducing the daytime rates to half that expected from the prevailing temperatures. The growth of young fruit on plants late in the season (September) showed patterns of growth similar to those observed early in the season. Irradiance mainly affected growth rate indirectly through an effect on plant water status; the effect of irradiance through concurrent assimilate supply was apparent only at low irradiances. Concomitant measurements of leaf water, osmotic and turgor potentials and fruit growth rate in the rockwool crop suggested that plant water stress during the day was responsible for the observed reduction in fruit expansion rate during the middle of the light period in mid-season plants. The pattern of daily changes in fruit expansion rate observed in the glasshouse was clearly controlled by changes in both ambient temperature and plant water status.

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