Quality of tomatoes harvested from plants receiving chronic exposures to sulfur dioxide

Journal Article · Fri Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1982 · HortScience; (United States)

OSTI ID:7003463

Lotstein, R J; Davis, D D; Pell, E J

Potted plants of 'Merit' tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were grown from seed to maturity in controlled-environment chambers and exposed to charcoal-filtered air or 288-314 ..mu..gm/sup -3/ (0.11-0.12 ppm) SO/sub 2/ during weeks 1-5, 6-10, or 1-10 beginning about one week after transplanting. Red ripe fruit harvested from plants exposed to SO/sub 2/ exhibited a slight but significant decrease in ascorbic acid expressed on a dry-weight basis. SO/sub 2/ induced significantly greater levels of foliar sulfur, but did not increase sulfur content of the fruit. Exposure of plants to SO/sub 2/ did not affect fruit yield or quality factors including soluble solids, total solids, or ascorbic acid on fresh-weight basis. A multiple regression model revealed low but significant R/sup 2/ values, indicating a weak and indirect, yet significant, association between plant sulfur content and fruit ascorbic acid.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park
• OSTI ID: 7003463
• Journal Information: HortScience; (United States), Journal Name: HortScience; (United States) Vol. 18:1; ISSN HJHSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

553000 -- Agriculture & Food Technology
560303* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
ASCORBIC ACID
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CORRELATIONS
FOOD
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
TOMATOES
VEGETABLES
VITAMINS