Solanum lycopersicum

Tomato

Figure 1: Tomato growing from plant. Image from tomato - Bing images

Introduction

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is part of the nightshade family also known as the Solanaceae family. The tomato plant can grow to heights of 3-10 feet. Tomatoes are usually spherical or oval shaped and range in size from 0.6 in. to 3 in. Tomatoes are grown in tropical temperature climates. In open fields or under greenhouses. China is the world’s largest tomato producer. They are produced nationwide in the United States. California and Florida are leading producers. (Resource library. Tomatosphere) and (Britannica)

Figure 2: Tomatos growing on plant in different stages. tomato - Bing images

Background

The Tomato species was initially grown in Western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The tomato originated in the Andes Mountains of South America, mainly in Peru and Ecuador. Tomatoes were introduced to North America from Europe. (Resource library. Tomatosphere) and (Britannica)

Taxonomy and Nomenclature:

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Spermatophyta
Subphylum: Asteridae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species: Solanum lycopersicum
Eukaryotic, Multicellular
Genus: Solanum = Nightshade
Specific epithet: lycopersicum = “wolf-peach”

(Resource library. Tomatosphere )

Figure 3: "Germination percentage of tomato seeds treated with liquid seaweed extracts at concentrations of a 0.2 %, b 0.4 %, and c 1.0 % from U. lactuca (UL), C. sertularioides (CS), P. gymnospora (PG), and S. liebmannii (SL). Values are presented as average (n = 400 seeds); bars represent standard error."(Hernández-Herrera et al. 2013)

Data Analysis

This study was done to determine if seaweed extract had any effect on tomato seedlings growth. (Hernández-Herrera et al. 2013)
100 grams of 4 algal species (2 brown, P. gymnospora (PG) and S. liebmannii (SL)) (2 green, U. lactuca (UL) and C. sertularioides (CS)) collected and mixed with 1 L of water. (Hernández-Herrera et al. 2013)
Germination observed daily for 8 days. (Hernández-Herrera et al. 2013)

Conclusion

Seaweed Extraction had effects on tomato seedling growth. (Hernández-Herrera et al. 2013)
- Seeds treated with U. lactuca and P. gymnospora LSEs showed higher germination rate. (Hernández-Herrera et al. 2013)
- In contrast, seeds treated with LSEs of C. sertularioides and S. liebmannii at 1.0 % had the longest average delay. (Hernández-Herrera et al. 2013)
The beneficial effects of seaweed extracts may arise from higher seed moisture after the drying phase. (Hernández-Herrera et al. 2013)
The extracts of both seaweed species showed better results when they were at lower concentrations than the more concentrated extracts. (Hernández-Herrera et al. 2013)

Further Studies
- More algal species
- Different types of tomatoes
- More time to observe germination.

References

•Hernández-Herrera, R. M., Santacruz-Ruvalcaba, F., Ruiz-López, M. A., Norrie, J., & Hernández-Carmona, G. (2013). Effect of liquid seaweed extracts on growth of tomato seedlings (solanum lycopersicum L.). Journal of Applied Phycology, 26(1), 619–628

Resource library. Tomatosphere. (n.d.). Retrieved February 4, 2023, from http://tomatosphere.letstalkscience.ca/Resources/library/ArticleID/4663/tomato-taxonomy.aspx
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Tomato. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/plant/tomato

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