Predicting harvesting date of processing tomatoes by a simulating model

Predicting harvesting date of processing tomatoes by a simulating model

1986

A:PS

A computer program was developed for predicting the times of emergence, flowering, turning stage, and harvesting of processing tomatoes. The program was validated and calibrated by using 1972-80 tomato data from 44 fields at 2 locations in Israel. Predictions are based on accumulation of heat units defined in terms of "physiological days", where 1 physilogical day is equivalent to a calendar day with a constant temperature of 26 C. The growing season was divided into 4 stages; from sowing to emergence, from emergence to flowering, from flowering to turning stage, and from turning stage to harvesting. Accumulation of physiological days during the first 2 stages is based on a linear function. During the last 2 stages, a quadratic function is used to calculate daytime heat units wherever the daily average temperature is above 20 C. the maximum rate of development is at 26 C. In the last stage, soil stress index also is taken into account. Use of the model makes it possible to predict the day of harvest with a precision of +-3 days, as compared with +-9 days when a daily mean systems is employed. [AS]

v.111(1):11-16, AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE, JOURNAL

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