What precautions should be taken when ripening tomatoes with ripening agents?
First, do not ripen too early. Generally, the best ripening effect is achieved when the fruit has fully grown. If the fruit is still at the green-ripe stage and has not fully grown, rushing to ripen it tends to cause uneven coloring and stiff fruit.
Second, note that the concentration of the agent should not be too high. Most tomato ripening uses 40% ethephon, with 50 milliliters of ethephon added to 4 kilograms of water, mixed evenly before use. The concentration of the solution should not be too high, otherwise obvious phytotoxicity will occur.
Third, note that the number of fruits ripened per plant each time should not be too many. Generally, it is best to ripen 1-2 fruits per plant each time, because ripening too many fruits on a single plant at one time means the plant receives too much of the agent and is prone to phytotoxicity.
Fourth, the leaves should not be contaminated with the solution, otherwise they will turn yellow and fall off. The specific method for ripening is: dip a small piece of sponge in the solution and apply it to the surface of the fruit, or wear cotton gloves, dip them in the solution, and apply it to the surface of the fruit. He Lizhi