Puffiness
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Puffiness of tomatoes causes fruit to appear flattened on one or more sides and partially hollow inside. It can be attributed to an interaction of various factors during winter and early spring conditions, including low light levels, high fertility, and poor pollen viability.
Puffiness of tomato fruit external symptoms.
(Photo: Shubin Saha, University of Kentucky)
Puffiness of tomato fruit internal symptoms.
(Photo: Shubin Saha, University of Kentucky)
Management:
- Choose varieties not prone to this disorder.
- Proper nutrient management and maximizing light penetration is critical.
- For structures with two layers of polyethylene, use outdoor air to inflate layers, rather than air from inside the structure; this prevents condensation formation between layers, which can reduce light.
