Tomato plant counts on the capacity to adapt to heat moderate stress, being able to restore the vitamin C concentration after longer periods at high temperature

The productivity and nutritional quality of vegetable crops is affected for high temperature, one of the most important factors associated with the global warming. In particular, increased air temperature may alter physical and sensorial parameters of fruits and also its nutritional composition. The present study examines the effect of an increased day temperature on tomato fruit yield and vitamin C concentration, when the increase is imposed at different fruit development stages. Tomato plants were cultivated under growth chamber conditions in 15 L-pots. Fifty one days after transplant, day temperature was increased up to 32?C. Fruits from the control treatment and those from the six selected development stages were sampled at the full-red stage of ripening, after 0, 6, 16, 22, 27, 36, and 44 days at high temperature. Fruit mean weight and equatorial and longitudinal diameter decreased as a result of the increased temperature. Hunter parameter related to red colour (a*) decreased as a result of high temperature in fruits subjected to the stress from green fruit fully developed stage. The effect of high temperature on vitamin C concentration depended on the duration and timing of the temperature moderate stress. In fruits subjected to high temperature from advanced development stages, vitamin C concentration decreased with regard to control fruits. The negative effect of high temperature on vitamin C decreased as the period of exposure to the stress increased. These results show the ability of the plant to adapt to heat moderate stress, being able to restore the vitamin C concentration after longer periods at high temperature. SourcesImpact of high temperature stress on ascorbic acid concentration in tomatoVirginia Hern?ndez, M. Pilar Hell?n-Garc?a, Jos? Fenoll, Juana Cava, Inmaculada Garrido, M. Virtudes Molina, M. Pilar FloresIMIDA, C/ Mayor, La Alberca, 30150 Murcia, SpainVIII International Postharvest Symposium, Cartagena, Spain, 21-24 June 2016 Picture:?Akira Seeds