Tomato Cultivar Evaluation: Tomato Fruit Size
You can read about the yields we observed at Tomato Cultivar Evaluation: Marketable Yield.
Methods: How We Conducted the Experiment
The study occurred in central Pennsylvania at Pennsylvania State University's Russell E. Larson Research Center in Pennsylvania Furnace and in southeastern Pennsylvania at Pennsylvania State University's Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Manheim. We evaluated 11 and 13 cultivars and selections of early maturing, determinate, large, red, slicing tomatoes at the central site and 19 at the southeastern site. 'Red Deuce' was used as the standard.
We used plasticulture systems at both sites with raised beds, a single line of drip tape per bed, and black plastic mulch. Five- to seven-week-old transplants were planted in mid-May to early June. We planted six plants of each cultivar in a single row with 18-inch in-row spacing and 10 ft between rows. Plants were suckered about three weeks after planting. We provided plants with 1–1.5 acre-inches of water each week. Irrigation water was acidified to pH 6.3 in 2023 at the southeastern site. Pests and fertility were managed following recommendations in the 2022-23 Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations guide. We planted annual ryegrass between rows, primarily to suppress weeds.
We harvested tomatoes when they reached the ripe red state. At the center site, we harvested weekly from July 21 to September 27, 2022, and August 2 to September 27, 2023. At the southeastern site, we harvested twice weekly from July 21 to August 18, 2022, and August 1 to September 25, 2023. Additionally, at the southeastern site, fruit were categorized as firsts and seconds. Once harvested, fruit were categorized as marketable or unmarketable, counted, and weighed. Marketable fruit was also graded using these sizes: extra-large (>3.5 inches diameter), large (2.75–3.5 inches diameter), medium (2–2.74 inches diameter), and small (<2 inches diameter).
The experiment used a randomized complete block design, with each cultivar replicated four times. Data were collected from six plants per cultivar and replication and analyzed using SAS's mixed procedure. Means were separated using pdiff.
Results: What We Saw
Center Site
In 2022, 'Red Deuce' produced more extra-large tomatoes by weight than 'Carrie', FTM 9745, FTM 9744, 'Rambler', 'Patsy', 'Mountain Fresh Plus', and 'Roadster' (see Table 1). 'Red Deuce' produced more extra-large tomatoes by number than 'Thunderbird', 'Carrie', FTM 9745, FTM 9744, 'Rambler', 'Patsy', 'Mountain Fresh Plus', and 'Roadster'. 'Red Deuce' was not different from any other cultivar when looking at the weight and number of large-sized tomatoes. 'Patsy' produced more medium-sized tomatoes by weight and number than 'Red Deuce'. None of the other cultivars produced medium-sized tomato yields different from 'Red Deuce'.
In 2023, the weight and number of extra-large tomatoes from 'Red Deuce' was not different than any other cultivar (see Table 2). 'Red Snapper' produced fewer large tomatoes by weight than 'Red Deuce'. All other cultivars were not different than 'Red Deuce' in the large-size category. 'Red Snapper', 'Mountain Fresh Plus', FTM 9743, and 'Mountain Gem' produced fewer large tomatoes by number than 'Red Deuce'. All other cultivars did not produce different amounts of large fruit than 'Red Deuce'. FTM 9745, FTM 9744, and 'Patsy' produced more medium-sized tomatoes by weight and number than 'Red Deuce'. None of the other cultivars produced different amounts of medium-sized fruit than 'Red Deuce'.Â
| Cultivar | Mean extra-large fruit weight/plant (lb) | Mean extra-large fruit number/plant | Mean large fruit weight/ plant (lb) | Mean large fruit number/ plant | Mean medium fruit weight/ plant (lb) | Mean medium fruit number/ plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Deuce | 1.8* a | 2.0 a | 5.5 a | 9.3 a | 0.6 b | 1.8 b |
| STM 2255 | 1.3 ab | 1.5 ab | 4.9 a | 8.4 a | 0.6 b | 1.8 b |
| Red Snapper | 1.1 abc | 1.2 abc | 3.8 a | 6.4 a | 1.3 ab | 1.8 b |
| Thunderbird | 0.7 abc | 0.8 bcd | 4.0 a | 7.0 a | 0.6 b | 2.1 b |
| Carrie | 0.6 bc | 0.7 bcd | 5.3 a | 9.8 a | 1.3 ab | 3.3 b |
| FTM 9745 | 0.5 bc | 0.6 bcd | 3.5 a | 6.7 a | 0.9 b | 2.7 b |
| FTM 9744 | 0.4 bc | 0.5 bcd | 4.5 a | 8.0 a | 1.4 ab | 3.6 b |
| Rambler | 0.4 bc | 0.4 bcd | 3.4 a | 6.0 a | 0.8 b | 2.4 b |
| Patsy | 0.3 bc | 0.3 cd | 5.1 a | 9.8 a | 1.9 a | 6.3 a |
| Mountain Fresh Plus | 0.2 c | 0.3 cd | 3.9 a | 7.2 a | 1.1 ab | 3.6 b |
| Roadster | 0.0 c | 0.0 d | 3.2 a | 5.8 a | 1.0 ab | 2.8 b |
*Values are means for individual plants; 'Red Deuce' (bolded) is the standard to which all other cultivars were compared; Values in the blue text within a column are significantly larger than 'Red Deuce', values in the purple text within a column are significantly smaller than 'Red Deuce'. Please read this article, Science, Tomatoes, and How to Read a Table, for more information on reading tables like this.
| Cultivar | Mean extra-large fruit weight/plant (lb) | Mean extra-large fruit number/plant | Mean large fruit weight/ plant (lb) | Mean large fruit number/ plant | Mean medium fruit weight/ plant (lb) | Mean medium fruit number/ plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Deuce | 2.0* ab | 2.5 ab | 3.7ab | 6.3 ab | 0.1 d | 0.1 c |
| STM 2255 | 1.6 ab | 2.0 ab | 2.6 a-c | 4.5 b-d | 0.3 bcd | 0.9 bc |
| Red Snapper | 3.1 a | 3.3 a | 1.6 c | 2.6 d | 0.1 d | 0.3 c |
| Thunderbird | 1.0 b | 1.3 b | 2.4 bc | 4.3 b-d | 0.2 cd | 0.7 bc |
| Carrie | 1.5 ab | 1.9 ab | 3.4 ab | 6.6 a | 0.3 b-d | 0.9 bc |
| FTM 9745 | 1.8 ab | 2.5 ab | 4.0 a | 7.0 a | 0.5 bc | 1.6 ab |
| FTM 9744 | 0.7 b | 0.9 b | 3.1 a-c | 6.0 a-c | 1.0 a | 2.7 a |
| Rambler | 2.1 ab | 2.4 ab | 3.3 ab | 5.8 a-c | 0.3 b-d | 0.7 bc |
| Patsy | 1.5 b | 1.7 ab | 3.3 ab | 5.8 a-c | 0.7 ab | 1.7 ab |
| Mountain Fresh Plus | 2.0 ab | 2.3 ab | 2.3 bc | 4.1 cd | 0.1 d | 0.3 c |
| Roadster | 0.7 b | 0.9 b | 3.1 ab | 5.6 a-c | 0.2 cd | 0.7 bc |
| FTM 9743 | 1.6 ab | 2.0 ab | 2.5 bc | 4.1 cd | 0.2 cd | 0.6 bc |
| Mountain Gem | 1.9 ab | 2.1 ab | 2.2 bc | 4.1 cd | 0.4 bcd | 1.1 bc |
*Values are means for individual plants; 'Red Deuce' (bolded) is the standard to which all other cultivars were compared; Values in the blue text within a column are significantly larger than 'Red Deuce', values in the purple text within a column are significantly smaller than 'Red Deuce'.
'Red Deuce' and 'Red Snapper' are good options for farmers with markets for extra-large tomatoes. In both years of the evaluation, the largest size category for tomato fruit was large (2.75 – 3.5 inches diameter). 'Red Deuce', STM 2255, 'Thunderbird', 'Carrie', FTM 9745, FTM 9744, 'Rambler', 'Patsy', and 'Roadster' produced consistent yields of large-sized tomatoes by weight and number. 'Patsy' is a good option for medium-sized tomatoes.
Southeastern Site
In 2022, yields were very low for all cultivars because the planting was severely infested with bacterial canker, and plants were only harvested for 4 weeks.
In 2023, for the firsts harvest, the number and weight of extra-large tomatoes from 'Rambler' and FTM 9745 were not different than from 'Red Deuce'. All other cultivars had smaller amounts of extra-large tomatoes by number and weight than 'Red Deuce' (see Table 3). Large tomatoes by weight from 'Patsy', PSFH 16-9, and PSFH 18-13 and by number from 'Patsy', PSFH 16-90, 'Carrie', and PSFH 18-13 were higher than from 'Red Deuce'. 'Patsy' and PSFH 18-13 produced more medium-sized tomatoes by number and weight than 'Red Deuce'.
For the seconds harvest, no significant differences were seen in extra-large- and medium-sized tomatoes (see Table 3). The weight of large-sized tomatoes from 'Patsy', PSFH 16-90, 'Carrie', STM 2255, PSFH 18-3, 'Rambler', 'Roadster', 'Mountain Fresh Plus', and PSFH 18-13 was higher than from 'Red Deuce'. All other cultivars were not different from 'Red Deuce' regarding the weight of large tomatoes.
| Cultivar | Mean extra-large fruit weight/plant (lb) | Mean extra-large fruit number/plant | Mean large fruit weight/ plant (lb) | Mean large fruit number/ plant | Mean medium fruit weight/ plant (lb) | Mean medium fruit number/ plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Deuce | 3.21* a | 3.4 a | 2.43 cdef | 4.0 cd | 0.13 cde | 0.21 bcd |
| PSFH 16-9 | 1.46 cdef | 1.8 bcde | 2.2 def | 3.8 cd | 0.02 de | 0.08 cd |
| Patsy | 1.91 bcde | 2.2 bcde | 4.85 a | 8.7 a | 0.55 a | 1.46 a |
| PSFH 16-90 | 1.04 ef | 1.2 de | 4.85 a | 8.7 a | 0.24 bcde | 0.71 bcd |
| PSFH 16-13 | 1.1 def | 1.3 cde | 1.98 def | 3.6 cd | 0.22 bcde | 0.51 bcd |
| Carrie | 1.1 def | 1.3 de | 3.97 abc | 7.2 ab | 0.31 abcd | 0.79 abc |
| Thunderbird | 1.96 bcde | 2.2 bcde | 1.76 def | 2.8 cd | 0.13 cde | 0.33 bcd |
| STM 2255 | 2.05 bcd | 2.3 bcd | 2.2 def | 3.9 cd | 0.07 de | 0.21 bcd |
| PSFH 18-3 | 1.21 def | 1.5 cde | 2.2 def | 4.2 cd | 0.15 cde | 0.46 bcd |
| Rambler | 2.49 ab | 2.7 ab | 3.09 bcd | 5.0 bc | 0.26 abcde | 0.63 bcd |
| Roadster | 2.01 bcde | 2.1 bcde | 2.2 def | 3.5 cd | 0.18 bcde | 0.50 bcd |
| FTM 9745 | 2.31 abc | 2.5 abc | 1.98 def | 3.1 cd | 0.20 bcde | 0.33 bcd |
| Mountain Fresh Plus | 0.88 f | 1.1 e | 3.09 bcde | 5.3 bc | 0.35 abc | 0.92 ab |
| PSFH 18-39 | 1.12 def | 1.3 de | 2.2 def | 3.9 cd | 0.02 e | 0.04 d |
| FTM 9744 | 1.12 def | 1.2 de | 1.1 f | 1.8 d | 0.07 cde | 0.13 cd |
| Red Snapper | 1.08 def | 1.3 de | 1.54 ef | 2.7 cd | 0 e | 0 d |
| Mountain Gem | 1.91 bcde | 2.0 bcde | 2.43 def | 3.7 cd | 0.11 cde | 0.17 cd |
| FTM9743 | 1.26def | 1.3 de | 0.88 f | 1.5 d | 0.07 cde | 0.17 cd |
| PSFH 18-13 | 1.1 def | 1.5 cde | 4.19 ab | 8.8 a | 0.46 ab | 1.46 a |
| Cultivar | Mean extra-large fruit weight/plant (lb) | Mean extra-large fruit number/plant | Mean large fruit weight/ plant (lb) | Mean large fruit number/ plant | Mean medium fruit weight/ plant (lb) | Mean medium fruit number/ plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Deuce | 3.09 a* | 3.2 a | 1.57 i | 2.42 g | 3.04 a | 3.17 a |
| PSFH 16-9 | 3.31 a | 3.8 a | 2.29 fghi | 3.91 efg | 3.40 a | 3.79 a |
| Patsy | 2.64 a | 3.0 a | 4.93 ab | 8.58 b | 2.67 a | 2.96 a |
| PSFH 16-90 | 2.64 a | 3.1 a | 3.75 bcde | 6.50 bcd | 2.69 a | 3.13 a |
| PSFH 16-13 | 2.64 a | 3.0 a | 2.87 defghi | 4.97 def | 2.56 a | 2.98 a |
| Carrie | 3.31 a | 3.8 a | 4.48 bc | 8.13 bc | 3.26 a | 3.79 a |
| Thunderbird | 3.53 a | 3.9 a | 2.84 defghi | 4.67 defg | 3.55 a | 3.88 a |
| STM 2255 | 3.31 a | 3.5 a | 4.03 bcd | 6.63 bcd | 3.24 a | 3.46 a |
| PSFH 18-3 | 3.31 a | 4.2 a | 3.97 bcde | 7.63 bc | 3.42 a | 4.21 a |
| Rambler | 3.09 a | 3.3 a | 3.31 cdefg | 5.04 de | 3.06 a | 3.33 a |
| Roadster | 3.75 a | 3.9 a | 3.04 defgh | 4.54 defg | 3.79 a | 3.88 a |
| FTM 9745 | 3.97 a | 4.1 a | 1.83 hi | 2.75 fg | 3.97 a | 4.13 a |
| Mountain Fresh Plus | 1.76 a | 2.0 a | 3.53 cdef | 6.21 cd | 1.70 a | 2.00 a |
| PSFH 18-39 | 3.31 a | 3.7 a | 2.65 edfghi | 4.46 defg | 3.31 a | 3.71 a |
| FTM 9744 | 2.87 a | 3.0 a | 2.01 ghi | 3.33 efg | 2.84 a | 3.04 a |
| Red Snapper | 3.75 a | 3.8 a | 2.2 fghi | 3.54 efg | 3.70 a | 3.79 a |
| Mountain Gem | 4.19 a | 4.5 a | 2.89 defghi | 4.75 def | 4.21 a | 4.54 a |
| FTM9743 | 3.31 a | 3.4 a | 1.61 i | 2.50 fg | 3.51 a | 3.42 a |
| PSFH 18-13 | 2.2 a | 2.9 a | 6.06 a | 11.17 a | 2.29 a | 2.92 a |
*Values are means for individual plants; 'Red Deuce' (bolded) is the standard to which all other cultivars were compared; Values in the blue text within a column are significantly larger than 'Red Deuce,' values in the purple text within a column are significantly smaller than 'Red Deuce.'
The high incidence of bacterial canker makes it challenging to draw conclusions over both years of the trial at this site. As we saw at the center site, 'Red Deuce' is a good option for extra-large tomatoes. 'Patsy', 'Carrie', and STM 2255 are good options for large-sized tomatoes, and 'Patsy' is a good option for medium-sized tomatoes.
