Tomato growth stages

Timing: Begin sampling at stage 2 (vegetative) and monitor every 10-14 days until stage 6.1 (maturity).
Sample Volume: 20-30 petioles
Sampling: Collect 1 leaf per plant, select the youngest fully expanded leaf (YFEL), usually the third or
forth leaf from the top from actively growing plants. Return to the same representative area for
subsequent samples.
Plant part for analysis: Discard the leaflets and retain the petioles for analysis

Secondary Description
Primary
stage (old Comments
stage
growth stages)
1 Seedling Not branched
2 Vegetative growth Branched plant – no flowers
3 Flowering stages
1st inflorescence developed (flower cluster closest to soil
3.1 Flowering (open scale, depending surface per stem)
on number of inflorescences, it may
3.2 (1) 2nd inflorescence developed per stem
go to 3.7 = 7 inflorescences)
3.3 (2) 3rd inflorescence developed per stem
4 Fruit development stages – fruit set and fruit growth/expansion (green fruit)
Fruit development (open scale 1st inflorescence has set fruit with at least two fruit > 1cm in
4.1
depending on the number of diameter (measured around the ‘equator’)
inflorescences that have set fruit, 2nd inflorescence has set fruit with at least two fruit > 1cm in
4.2 tomatoes will still bear flowers, diameter
stage 4 is finished when a fruit on rd
4.3 the 1 st inflorescence has developed 3 inflorescence has set fruit with at least two fruit > 1cm in
‘breaker’ colour) diameter
5 Early fruit ripening stages – breaker (coloured/orange fruit)
Early fruit ripening (open scale One or more fruit on 1st inflorescence have developed breaker
5.1
depending on the number of colour (record % of fruit coloured on 1st inflorescence)
inflorescences that have developed One or more fruit on 2nd inflorescence have developed breaker
5.2 ‘breaker’ colour, tomatoes may still colour (record % of fruit coloured on 2nd inflorescence)
bear flowers, stage 5 is finished,
when a fruit on first inflorescence One or more fruit on 3rd inflorescence have developed breaker
5.3
has turned fully red) colour (record % of fruit coloured on 3rd inflorescence)
6 Fruit ripening stages – maturity (red fruit)
Mid fruit ripening (open scale One or more fruit on 1st inflorescence have developed fully red
6.1 (6) depending on the number of colour (record % of fruit red on 1st inflorescence)
inflorescences that have developed
6.2 fully red coloured fruit, stage 6 is One or more fruit on 2nd inflorescence have developed fully red
finished, when 80% of fruit on all colour (record % of fruit red on 2nd inflorescence)
6.3 (7) inflorescence per stem turned fully One or more fruit on 3rd inflorescence have developed fully red
red) colour (record % of fruit red on 3rd inflorescence)
At least 80% of fruit on all inflorescence per stem turned fully
7 Harvest
red
Version 2 March 2004

Serve-Ag Analytical Services, 6181 Frankford Rd, PO Box 690, Devonport TAS 7310
Ph: 03-64 270 800, Fax 03-64 270 801, lhurry@serve -ag.com.au, www.serve-ag.com.au

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