Yellow Shoulder of Solanaceous Crops
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Yellow shoulder is a ripening disorder in tomato fruit that causes distinct yellowing around the stem scar. It looks as though the fruit are not completely ripe, but the yellow color never turns red. It is caused by a lack of potassium in the fruit. This can be due to not enough available potassium in the soil. Soil and foliar testing can tell you if you have potassium in the soil that is just not being taken up by the plant. Check the Hartz Ratio. Varieties that lack the uniform ripening gene are more susceptible, as are varieties that produce less foliage to shade fruit.
Yellow shoulder on tomato.
(Photo: UK Vegetable IPM Team)
