Review of literature

Tomato (Lycopersicun lycopersicum) was introduced to cultivation in the middle

east/Asia by John Barker British consoul in Alleppocirca 1799 to 1825. It is now grown
worldwide for its edible fruits, with thousands of cultivars having been selected with varying
fruit types and for optimum growth in different growing condition. Cultivated tomatoes varying
in size , from tomberries about 5mm in diameter through cherry tomatoes about the same 1-
2cm (0.4-0.8m)size as the wild tomato up to the beef steak tomatoes 10cm(4in) or more in
diameter range. The most widely grown commercial tomatoes tend to be in 5-6cm (2.0-2.4in)
diameter range. Most cultivars produce red fruits but a number of cultivars with yellow,orange,
pink, purple, green, black, or black or white fruits are also available. Multicolored and striped
fruit can also be quite striking (smitt, 1994).
FAOSTAT,2001 showed that about 3.6 million hectares of land worldwide is planted to
tomato alone with a production in year 2000 reaching up to 97 million tons. Bulk of this
production actually comes from Asia which is considered as the leading producers of tomato
fruits and seed with 41 metric tons or 44%of the total world production. Other major players of
the tomato industry are Europe, China,and North and Central America which account for 23,
19, and 14% of the total world tomato production, respectively (Mc Mahon et al., 2001). But
among Asian countries, the Philippines has only a total of 16,000hectares of land devoted to
tomato producing about 148,073 tons, with an average of 9.2 tons per hectares. Ilocos
(regionI) is the leading tomato producer in the country accounting for 33% of the total
production. Western visayas (region6) and Northern Mindanao (region 10) accounts for 8 and
14% of the countys total tomato production, respectively (Bureau Agricultural Statistic, 2001).
Although production of salad tomato is now becoming the profitable ventures, most of the
local farmers still do not produce this kind of tomato fearing that its production is seasonal
hence most fast food outlets in the country resort to importation just to facilitate daily
operation.
Botanical Classification
Tomato plants are vines, initially decumbent, typical growing six feet or more above the
ground if supported, although erect bush varieties have been bred, generally three feet tall or
shorter. Indeterminate types are tender perennial, dying annually in temperate climates (they
are originally native to tropical highlands), although they can live up to three years in
greenhouse in some cases. Determinate types are annual in all climates. Tomato plants are
dicots, and grow as series of branching stems, with terminal buds at the tip that does the actual
growing. When that tip eventually stops growing, weather because of pruning or flowering,
lateral buds over and grow into other, fully functional vines.
Tomato vines are typically pubescent, meaning covered with fine short hairs. This hairs
facilitate the vining process, turning into roots where ever the plants is in contact with the
ground and moisture, especially if the vines connected to its original roots has been damage or
severed. Most tomato plants have compounds leaves and are called regular leaf (RL) plants,
but some cultivars have simple leaves known as potato leaf (PL), style because of their
resemblance to that particular relative of RL plants. The leaves of tomato are 10-25cm(4-10in)
long, odd pinnate, with 5-9 leaflets on petioles, each leaflets up to 8cm(3in) long, with a
serrated margins both the stem, and leaves are densely glandular hairy. Their flowers ,
appearing the apical meristem have the anther fused along the edges forming a column
surrounding the pistils style. Flowers in domestic cultivars tend to be self-fertilizing. The
flowers are 1-2 cm (0.4-0.8in across, yellow with 5 pointed lobes on the corolla. They are born
in a cyme of 3-12 together. Tomato fruit is classified as a berry. As a true fruit, it develops from
the ovary of the plant after fertilization. Its flesh comprising the pericarp walls. The fruit
contains hallow spaces full of seeds and moisture called locular cavities. These vary, among
cultivated species according to species, according to type. Some smaller varieties have two
cavities, globe shape, variety have three to five beefsteak tomatoes have a great number of
smaller cavities, while paste tomatoes having few, very small cavities.
Nutritional Benefits
Tomato is top source of vitamin A and C, it also contains significant amount of dietary
fiber, beta carotene, iron, lycopene, magnesium, niacin, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, and
thiamine. According to Faylon 2006 as cited by Nombrado 2008, aside from its popularity in
salad, cooked vegetables or condiment tomato is reported for its natural antiseptic properties
which protect against infections. It has been reported for reducing congestion in the liver and
cholesterol in the blood as well as a dissolving gall stone. Tomato is high in vitamin K which
helps prevents hemorrhage and contains lycopene, which is believe to reduce if not cure
cancer. The food and nutritional values of tomato as well as its market potential, make it a
viable agribusiness option for small and medium entrepreneurs. It can grow successfully under
organic conditions, thus organic tomato which is more or even viable investment.aside from its
food and nutritional values, tomato can also create a profitable niche of its own
(PCARRD,2007).
Tomato Fruit Set as Influence by Plant Hormones
Normal tomato growth, fruit and seed setting were reported to be affected by
environmental, cultural, or genetic factors among which light temperature nutrition, hormonal
imbalance and water supply play a significant roles (Kinet and Peet, 1997). According to the
authors, for good fruit set and subsequent high yield pollination, germination of pollen grains,
pollen tubes growth, fertilization and fruit iniation must take place successfully. However, high
relative humidity of the air, low light intensity and extreme low and high temperature and
improper mineral nutrition seems too involved in the control of those phenomena and result in
low fruit set quality. Reproductive development in tomato including stamen and pollen
differentiation and fruit set are important to fruit yield, quality and dependent on the relative
amounts of endogenous growth regulators (Kinet and Peet, 1997). Further, the authors
highlighted fruit set in tomato to be critical stage which is highly affected by environmental
factors and plant regulators (PGRs). According to Schwabe(1986) the growth and development
of tomato plant can be influence by most stage of its life cycle by applied growth regulators.
Almost all natural regulators growth substances have effects on seed germination and shoot
and root growth, side branch and truss formation, fruit ripening and senescence (Gelmesa D. et
al., 2013).
Cited by Henry et al., 1990 fruit size in plants are usually correlated with the size of the
entire plant, but it is related to the size of the meristem. A positive relationship has been
demonstrated between two ovary size at anthesis and final fruit size (Houhtaling 1935). Early
ovarian growth is mainly a result of cell division; thereafter, fruit growth is influence primarily
by cell expansion (Geelen et al.,1987, Bohneer and Bangerth 1988). Many morphological and
environmental factors influence tomato fruit growth including fruit shape, maturation rate and
the application of plant growth regulators. Fruit set has been defined as the changeover from
the static condition of the ovary to the rapidly growing condition of the young fruit following
ovary fertilization. In the case of tomato one of the most studied fleshy fruits, fruit growth takes
place after fruit set in two consecutive phase; an active division , lasting about 7 to 10 DAP and
a cell expansion, enclosing the developing seeds and filing the locular cavities with a jelly like
homogeneous tissue (Ho and Hewitt; Gillaspy et al. 1993).
Growth Regulator
Plant hormones are organic molecules produced in small amounts in one ( or several)
parts of the plants and then transported