EFFECT OF SUNSHINE AND SHAPE OF FRUIT ON THE RATE OF RIPENING OF TOMATO FRUITS

The accompanying table (table I) shows high positive correlation between the number of sunshine hours and the number of days required for tomato fruits to reach full maturity after they had started to redden. This is surprising in view of the fact that light is not considered essential for the ripening processes of the tomato fruit. (1) The fruits are in fact ripened, by many commission merchants, in darkened rooms with or without the addition of ethylene. (2) DUGGAR1 found that heat and oxygen, but not light, were factors influencing the rate of color formation.