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In 2000-2001, 43,800 acres of tomatoes were harvested in Florida, yielding 63.7 million 25-pound cartons worth over $588 million. Tomatoes accounted for over 34% of the total value for all vegetables grown in Florida during 2000-2001, making it the most important vegetable produced in the state. The Palmetto-Ruskin area (west-central Florida) accounted for over 36% of the state’s total fresh market tomato production in 1999-2000.

A tomato variety trial was conducted in spring 2002 at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center-Bradenton located in west-central Florida to evaluate fresh market tomato varieties and breeding lines. The replicated yield trial included 27 entries.

Seeds were sown on 15-16 February into planter flats containing a commercial mix. Transplants were fertilized periodically with a liquid 20-20-20 (N-P₂0₅K₂0) to sustain growth during production. Plants were conditioned before transplanting by limiting water and nutrients in the final phase of production.

The land was prepared in early February. Beds were formed and fumigated with methyl bromide:chloropicrin, 67:33 at 350 lb/treated acre. Banded fertilizer was applied in shallow grooves on the bed shoulders at to provide 282-0-392 lbs N-P₂0₅-K₂0/A after the beds were pressed and before the white polyethylene mulch was applied. The final beds were 32-in. wide and 8-in. high, and were spaced on 5-ft centers with six beds between seepage irrigation/drainage ditches, which were on 41-ft centers.

Transplants were set in the field on 4 March and spaced 24 in. apart in single rows down the center of each bed. Transplants were immediately drenched with water containing 16 fl. oz/acre of imidacloprid for silverleaf whitefly control. Four replications of 10 plants per entry were arranged in a randomized complete block design. However, data is reported for only two replications because of poor growth in the other two replications. Plants were lightly pruned, staked, and tied.

Plants were scouted for pests throughout the season. A preventative spray program was followed for management of plant pathogens.

Fruit were harvested three times at or beyond the mature-green stage on 7 May and 20-21 May and 3-4 June. Tomatoes were graded as cull or marketable by U.S. standards for grades and marketable fruit were sized by machine. Marketable fruits of each size were counted and weighed.

Seasonal yields from three harvests ranged from 1634 cartons/acre for HMX 0800 to 2967 cartons/acre for Fla. 7973. Twenty other entries had yields similar to those of Fla. 7973. All but one entry produced yields greater than the state average yield for spring 2000 of 1693 cartons/acre.

Yields of extra-large fruit varied from 1256 cartons/acre for ACX 12A to 2543 cartons/acre for Fla. 7926. Yields of Fla. 7926 extra large fruit were not different from those of 17 other entries. Large fruit yields ranged from 169 cartons/acre for RFT 0252 to 707 cartons/acre for ‘Lucky 13’. Cull fruit for the entire season varied from 12% by weight for RFT 0252 and ‘Florida 91’ to 30% for ACX 12A. Blossom-end rot, rough shoulders, and small fruit were the principal defects during the latter part of the season. Average fruit weight was from 5.5 oz for ‘Lucky 13’ to 7.6 oz for RFT 0417. TYLC- infected plants ranged from 0 for several entries to 60% for HMX 0800. Over 80% of the entries had at least one infected plant.

Yields in the spring 2002 season were similar to those in recent spring seasons at this location. Exceptional experimental hybrid performers in spring 2002 were Fla. 7973, Fla. 7926, HMX 1803, XTM 0227, Fla. 7810, HA-3060, and TY00-568.

Table 1. Seed source, total marketable yields, and average marketable fruit weight, for fresh market tomato entries in spring 2002. (Harvest Dates: 7, 20-21 May and 3-4 June 2002.)
Entry	Source	Total Harvest				Avg Fruit Wt (oz)
		Total	X-Large	Large	Medium
		----------------(cartons/A)¹-------------
Fla. 7973	GCREC-UF	2967 a²	2467 ab	409 c-e	91 bc	6.7 b-e
Fla. 7926	GCREC-UF	2799 ab	2543 a	208 d-f	48 bc	7.2 a-c
HMX 1803	Harris Moran	2787 a-c	2429 ab	281 d-f	78 bc	6.9 b-d
BHN 591	BHN Research	2749 a-c	2380 ab	318 c-f	51 bc	6.9 b-d
BHN 586	BHN Research	2717 a-c	2358 ab	311 c-f	49 bc	6.6 c-e


XTM 0227	Sakata	2666 a-c	2351 ab	267 d-f	47 bc	7.3 ab
Fla. 7810	GCREC-UF	2652 a-c	1903 bc	629 ab	120 b	6.1 ef
HA-3060	Hazera	2652 a-c	2255 ab	327 c-f	71 bc	6.4 d-f
Florida 47	Seminis	2626 a-c	2209 ab	363 c-f	53 bc	6.7 b-e
TY00-568	Hazera	2615 a-c	2195 ab	358 c-f	62 bc	6.7 b-e


HA-3650	Hazera	2602 a-c	2325 ab	244 d-f	33 bc	7.0 a-d
PX150535	Seminis	2596 a-c	2322 ab	237 d-f	37 bc	7.4 ab
RFT 0417	Syngenta	2593 a-c	2385 ab	182 f	25 bc	7.6 a
ASX 911	Agrisales	2521 a-c	2157 ab	313 c-f	51 bc	6.8 b-e
RFT 0247	Syngenta	2511 a-c	2224 ab	268 d-f	18 bc	7.1 a-d


EX1405037	Seminis	2500 a-c	2257 ab	214 d-f	29 bc	7.3 ab
RFT 0252	Syngenta	2492 a-c	2310 ab	169 f	12 c	7.1 a-d
SVR 1432427	Seminis	2473 a-c	2134 ab	294 c-f	45 bc	7.0 a-d
Agriset 761	Agrisales	2452 a-d	1926 bc	415 cd	111 bc	6.6 c-e
Florida 91	Seminis	2410 a-d	2141 ab	222 d-f	47 bc	6.9 a-d


Lucky 13	Agrisales	2391 a-d	1390 cd	707 a	294 a	5.5 g
HA-3636	Hazera	2275 b-e	1904 bc	306 c-f	65 bc	6.8 b-e
Fla. 7964	GCREC-UF	2260 b-e	1934 bc	267 d-f	58 bc	6.7 b-e
Sanibel	Seminis	2138 c-f	1904 bc	202 ef	31 bc	6.8 b-e
ACX12A	Abbott & Cobb	1837 d-f	1256 d	494 bc	86 bc	5.9 fg


RFT 6153	Agrisales	1752 ef	1505 cd	208 d-f	39 bc	6.9 b-d
HMX 0800	Harris Moran	1634 f	1370 cd	228 d-f	35 bc	6.8 b-d
¹Carton = 25 lbs. Acre = 8712 lbf. Grading belt hole sizes: X-Large = no belt, greater than 2.75”; Large = 2.75”-2.51”; Medium = 2.5”-2.26”; and Cull < 2.25”.²Mean separation in columns by Duncan’s multiple range test, 5% level.

Table 1. Summary of University of Florida tomato variety trial results, Spring 2001.
Location	Variety	Total yield (ctn/acre)	Variety	Average fruit wt. (oz)
Bradenton	ASX 013	2821	Florida 47	7.8
	BHN 543	2796	RFT 0252	7.6
	Fla. 7973	2681	BHN 543	7.3
	Sunguard	2619	PS 150535	7.2
	ASX 911	2558 ¹	Florida 91	7.1²
Quincy	BHN 543	2475	BHN 543	8.0
	BHN 575	2358	HA 3027	8.0
	Fla. 7973	2350	PS 150535	7.8
	Florida 91	2339	Sanibel	7.7
	RFT 0417	2326³	HA 3028	7.6⁴
122 other entries had yields similar to ASX 911. ²21 other entries had fruit weight similar to Florida 91. ³21 other entries had yields similar to RFT 0417. ⁴17 other entries had fruit weight similar to HA 3028.

Table 2. Summary of University of Florida tomato variety trial results. Fall 2001.
Location	Variety	Total yield (ctn/acre)	Variety	Average fruit wt. (oz)
Bradenton	NC 99405	3268	Fla. 7943	6.9
	Sanibel	3092	RFT 0418	6.8
	HA 3057	2973	RFT 0442	6.7
	Fla. 7943	2463	Florida 47	6.8
	Agriset 911	2731 ¹	EX 1405037	6.6 ²
Fort Pierce	Fla. 7943	2463	Florida 47	6.8
	Agriset 761	2355	Fla. 7973	6.6
	Florida 91	2343	Florida 91	6.3
	Solar Set	2229	Floralina	6.2
	Sanibel	2229 ³	Sanibel	6.0 ⁴
Quincy	BHN 537	3029	BHN 537	6.2
	BHN 563	2678	Florida 91	6.1
	BHN 189	2634	BHN 189	5.9
	Solar Set	2558	RFT 0418	5.8
	BHN 555	2554 ⁵	BHN 444	5.8 ⁶
¹21 other entries had yields similar to Agriset 911. ²17 other entries had fruit weight similar to EX 1405037. ³5 other entries had yields similar to Sanibel. ⁴5 other entries had fruit weight similar to Sanibel. ⁵14 other entries had yields similar to BHN 555. ⁶14 other entries had fruit weight similar to BHN 444.

Daniel J. Cantliffe Professor and Chairman	Ronald W. Rice Assistant Professor, nutrition
John Duval Assistant Professor, strawberry	Steven A. Sargent Professor, postharvest
Chad Hutchinson Assistant Professor, vegetable production	Eric Simonne Assistant Professor, vegetable nutrition
Elizabeth M. Lamb Assistant Professor, production	William M. Stall Professor and editor, weed control
Yuncong Li Assistant Professor, soils	James M. Stephens (retired) Professor, vegetable gardening
Donald N. Maynard Professor, varieties	Charles S. Vavrina Professor, transplants
Stephen M. Olson Professor, small farms	James M. White Associate Professor, organic farming
Mark A. Ritenour Assistant Professor, postharvest

Vegetarian Newsletter
A Vegetable Crops Extension Publication Vegetarian 02-08 August 2002	University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Service