What's the limit of tomato growth as a herbivores? In recent days, at the twenty-sixth international vegetable science and technology fair in shandong, a large tomato tree attracted a lot of attention. At the scene, only the thick trunks of the tomato tree were stretched out of a hydroponic box, connected to the support shelf above, and the branches spread, forming thick tree crowns, with many mature red tomato fruit。
Tomato trees
In october 2024, the tomato tree was planted for the development of a tomato seedling, with a canopy covering about 80 square metres. Based on past planting experience, if properly managed, the canopy of the tomato tree could cover more than 150 square metres, with cumulative results of over 6,000 pounds。
According to ma zhuang, tomato varieties, which are not a special species and are likely to grow into trees with excellent characteristics such as good branching, strong sit-in, strong growth and unlimited growth, “each year we select some of the many varieties of tomatoes to be tested, and we select suitable varieties to breed the tomato trees”
Watermelon tree
In addition to excellent tomato varieties, scientific cultivation and management measures are essential for the cultivation of tomatoes. Ma zhuang indicated that integrated techniques for the integrated management of tomato cultivation, such as greenhouse integrated environmental regulation, root environmental regulation, hydroponics domestication, deep-flowing cultivation, multi-strength shearing, grafting, nutrient transfer, etc., allow the full potential of tomatoes and maximize the ability of tomatoes to grow alone。
Many of the hydroponic techniques used in it can help tomato tree growth quickly and efficiently, “if matrix-based, earth-based, water-fed, over-fertilized, etc. Are used, delays in the growth of the plant, and when hydroponics are used, the later management will be easier and the plant will grow faster”
Cucumber tree
So, is there a difference between the fruit of the tomato tree and the normal tomato plant? Ma zhuang indicated that the tomato tree had a better taste of the fruit than the normal tomato plant, when flowering with wind machines and mild vibrations。
At the moment, thanks to its high value, tomato trees have been better promoted in agricultural tourist parks and home gardens. However, because of its high demand for hydroponic management techniques, there has not yet been a large-scale farm cultivation, “it has been embedded in nutrient fluids whose roots may be `overturned' in the event of a misallocation”
Ma zhong zheng has been conducting research on tomato technology for more than 20 years. She indicated that, as technology matured, the area covered by the tomato tree and the number of results increased year by year. On the basis of the technique of tomato tree cultivation, the team has also been able to plant fruit crops, such as cucumber trees, watermelon trees, sweet potatoes trees and pineapple trees, and presented at this year's food fair, “every year we try to grow some new vegetables into `trees'.”
(photos provided by interviewees)
