Effect of frequency of axillary bud pruning on vegetative growth and fruit yield in greenhouse tomato crops

In greenhouse tomato crops, several manual operations are performed each week to keep the plants in optimal growth conditions. But growers are trying to reduce labour costs by spacing out the manual operations. An experimental study was conducted on one particular operation, axillary bud deshooting. The aim is to determine the effect of the deshooting frequency on vegetative growth and fruit yield, in order to help growers to determine the optimal frequency. The trials were conducted in an experimental station in AleÂnya (south France). Four deshooting frequencies were compared on two cultivars: every 7 (control), 10, 14 and 21 days. Deshooting frequency affected both vegetative growth and yield: when deshooting was performed seldom (every 21 days), the stem diameter and the vigour scored by experts were decreased; the number of fruits per m was also reduced, leading to a signi®cantly lower yield. Moreover, the harvest started later than on the control. When the axillary buds were eliminated frequently (7 days), even those located near the apex, it reduced vegetative growth, but not yield. Therefore, from a biological point of view, the optimal deshooting frequency lies between 7 and 14 days, probably depending on climate, season and cultivar vigour. # 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.