The main reason for staking and training tomato plants is to keep plants and fruits off the ground to reduce losses and to improve the quality of the production. To evaluate the influence of three plant staking and two training systems of the tomato production for fresh market, two experiments were conducted during the period of August 1999 (exp.1) and 2000 (exp.2) in Viçosa, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three blocks, in a 3 x 2 factorial plant staking and 2 conduction systems. The following staking methods were tested: T1, traditional (two bamboo stakes as an inverted V frame); T2, triangular staking or; T3, vertical staking with polypropylene cord. Plants were conducted with one or two stems per plant. Independent of the treatment, the plants were pruned above the sixth flower cluster. Differences were observed among staking and conduction systems and among the years in relation to the appraised characteristics. There was interaction among training, conduction systems and years for marketable fruits and total fruit production. The vertical staking up provided increase in production of fruits of big size and decrease in production of fruits of medium size and production of not marketable fruits, when compared with the other staking methods. Independently of the conduction system (for two stems), the tomato cultivated with only one stem produced bigger fruits with higher commercial value, while the plants conduced with two stems produced more fruits of medium and small size.
Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.; cultural treatments; classified production; efficient use of assimilates; profitability
