Tomato plants start fruiting at about 18 – 21 days after flowering. Bursting and cracking of tomatoes is a common problem in tomato cultivation, it often leads to poor quality of tomato fruits, reduces their shelf life, and increases post-harvest wastage.
You would agree with me that the quality of tomato fruits is a great condition for its pricing, marketability, and duration of storage; the bigger, plump, and firm a tomato fruit is, the higher its price, its demand, and the longer it stays during storage.
The economic effect of when tomato burst is the devaluation of the tomatoes, thus, selling the tomatoes at mouthwatering prices. What causes tomato fruit bursting, and how it can be treated and prevented shall be revealed in this article as you read through…
Causes of Tomato Fruit Bursting
Tomato fruit bursting occurs because of these two reasons:
- Lack of adequate water or irregular irrigation system
- Boron deficiency
Inadequate Water Supply
Tomato plants need adequate water for healthy growth and fruit development. Over-watering and under-watering can make tomatoes burst. The demand for water in tomato cultivation increases as tomato plant starts fruiting. Remember tomatoes consist of about 80 percent of water, irregular irrigation systems can cause moisture stress, and one of the signs is the bursting of the tomato fruits.
Boron Deficiency
Boron is a micro nutrient required by tomato plant in relative small quantities. One of the primary roles boron plays in plant nutrition is healthy fruit formation. Lack of boron weakens the cell wall of the tomato fruits, this makes the tomato fruit crack and burst open in severe cases. The demand for boron in tomato cultivation increases as the tomato plant starts fruiting fruiting.
Solutions and Prevention of Tomato Fruit Bursting
As the causes of tomato fruit bursting have been established, we can therefore suggest that the following measures can be used to prevent tomato fruit bursting subsequently
1. Adequate water supply: Adopt the drip irrigation system that intermittently water supply to the root zone of the tomato plants. With drip irrigation, you can be certain that your tomato plant gets an adequate water supply every day.
2. Application of Boron and Calcium fertilizers: As the tomato plant starts to fruit, apply boron and calcium nitrate fertilizers to strengthen the fruits and improve the overall plant health. Mix 2 grams of borax powder and 1 gram of calcium nitrate to a liter of water and apply evening on the plant to ensure optimal nutrient absorption.
3. Pre-planting Soil Treatment: After land preparation for tomato cultivation, apply 10kg of borax powder to 1 hectare of land before planting. This will increase the boron content in the soil. If you have less than 1 hectare, you can adjust the application rate by proportioning.
Read also:
- Effects Of Eggshells On Tomato Plant Growth And Garden Soil
- Fertilizer Recommendations For Tomato Plant & Application
Lastly, healthy tomato fruits are the gain of the cultivation. There are other conditions that can be detrimental to the healthy growth and fruit formation of tomato plants, fruit bursting is just one and if not prevented, it can cause huge financial loss and failure of the investment.
Do well to share for other tomato farmers to benefit from…Happy gardening.