What to Do About Low Fruit Set in Tomatoes? Cause Analysis and Solutions
Tomato is a vegetable we all know well. It is delicious and deeply loved by consumers, is grown over an extremely wide range, and has very high economic value. But during cultivation, a low fruit set rate is a headache for farmers: low fruit set means lower tomato yields and lower income for farmers. So what causes low fruit set in tomatoes, and how should it be solved? Let's take a look.
1. Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer
Most plants cannot grow without nitrogen, which promotes plant growth. But if too much nitrogen fertilizer is applied during the tomato seedling stage, it causes excessive vegetative growth, leading to leggy growth that affects later flowering and fruiting. In addition, applying too much nitrogen fertilizer alone inhibits the plant's absorption and use of calcium, potassium and other elements, causing nutrient imbalance in the plant, which likewise results in a low fruit set rate.
Solution: Tomatoes have different fertilizer needs at each growth stage. During the seedling stage, nitrogen fertilizer is the main type, but it should not be applied in excess, to avoid leggy growth; when the seedlings grow vigorously, control the vigor promptly and remove leggy branches. When the plant flowers and sets fruit, apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, which can noticeably improve the fruit set rate.
2. Temperature
Tomatoes are quite demanding about temperature. If the temperature is on the high side during the seedling stage, the plant grows excessively, which affects reproductive growth and leads to a lower fruit set rate. Temperature also matters during the flowering period; the suitable temperature is around 25-26 degrees. On cloudy days, when the temperature does not reach the standard, ventilation can be reduced or stopped; at noon, when the temperature is higher, ventilation should be increased to lower the room temperature.
Solution: Temperature must be strictly controlled. During the day it should not exceed 30 degrees, and in summer heat it should not exceed 35 degrees, to avoid affecting flower bud differentiation. At night it is generally 12-18 degrees, and should not be too high, to avoid leggy stems that cause flower and fruit drop. When temperatures are high, shade and sprinkle water to lower the temperature; when temperatures are low, reduce ventilation to raise the temperature in the greenhouse.
3. Blind use of growth regulators
Besides the conventional nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, tomatoes also need various other trace elements during growth, so during cultivation foliar fertilizers or growth regulators are generally sprayed to supplement trace elements and promote growth. This is originally a technique for increasing yield, but some foliar fertilizers contain certain hormones. These stimulate rapid plant growth, causing excessive growth that affects the fruit set rate. In addition, many farmers, in order to increase yields, blindly use various growth regulators, which also causes the fruit set rate to decline.
Solution: The use of growth regulators and foliar fertilizers must be reasonable; they should not be applied in excess or too frequently. Generally, spraying 2-3 times during the flowering and fruiting period is enough.
The above is an introduction to the causes of low fruit set in tomatoes and the solutions. We hope it helps you. For more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.