Catfacing of tomatoes as influenced by pruning and growth regulator applications

Field studies were conducted at the University of Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station at Knoxville in 1974 and 1975 to determine the influence of pruning and auxin on the incidence of catfacing in fresh market tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum, cv. Manapal). It was found that time of pruning affected catfacing more than did the amount of pruning. A 2 stem, delayed pruning system produced a lower percentage of catfaced fruit than either 1 or 2 stem early priming systems. Catfacing occurred on plants in an unpruned system equal to that of the delayed pruning system, but early marketable yields were lower with unpruned plants. Nitrogen fertilization had no effect on the incidence of catfacing. Results indicated that certain concentrations of applied synthetic auxin (α -napthalene-acetic acid) could mitigate the increased catfacing response of early-pruned treatments. Plants receiving auxin applications were observed to have vegetative characteristics similar to those of delay-pruned plants which had no auxin applied. These findings and the characteristic nature of the deformity suggest that growth regulator balance may influence the information of catfaced fruit.