Tomato cultivation systems affect subsequent quality of fresh-cut fruit slices

Experiments were conducted to compare changes in quality of slices of red t omato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. 'Sunbeam') fruit from plants grown usi ng black polyethylene or hairy vetch mulches under various foliar disease m anagement systems including: no fungicide applications (NF), a disease fore casting model (TOM-CAST), and weekly fungicide applications (WF), during st orage at 5 degreesC under a modified atmosphere. Slices were analyzed for f irmness, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), pH, electro lyte leakage, fungi, yeasts, and chilling injury. With both NF and TOM-CAST fungicide treatments, slices from tomatoes grown with hairy vetch (Vicia v illosa Roth) mulch were firmer than those from tomatoes grown with black po lyethylene mulch after 12 days storage. Ethylene production of slices from fruit grown using hairy vetch mulch under TOM-CAST was approximate to1.5- a nd 5-fold higher than that of slices from WF and NF fungicide treatments af ter 12 days, respectively, The percentage of water-soaked areas (chilling i njury) for slices from tomatoes grown using black polyethylene mulch under NF was over 7-fold that of slices from tomatoes grown using hairy vetch und er TOM-CAST. When stored at 20 degreesC, slices from light-red tomatoes gro wn with black polyethylene or hairy vetch mulches both showed a rapid incre ase in electrolyte leakage beginning 6 hours after slicing. However, slices from tomatoes grown using the hairy vetch mulch tended to have lower elect rolyte leakage than those grown with black polyethylene mulch. These result s suggest that tomatoes from plants grown using hairy vetch mulch may be mo re suitable for fresh-cut slices than those grown using black polyethylene mulch. Also, use of the disease forecasting model TOM-CAST, which can resul t in lower fungicide application than is currently used commercially, resul ted in high quality fruit for fresh-cut processing.