Pollination

The high temperatures we have had this week and probably next week with daytime highs at 90oF and above and nighttime lows only getting down to 70oF in much of the mid-Atlantic may cause blossom drop and fruit abortion in tomatoes. Ordinarily in tomato fields pollination is achieved just by the action of the wind. Pollen is released from the tomato flower and falls onto the stigma.

Over the last month I have received reports from high tunnel (HT) growers that were seeing flower abscission due to poor pollination in their tomatoes (fig. 1). Some of these reports were a few weeks ago and others were just this past week. There are unfortunately several factors that can cause poor pollination in tomatoes.

State Pollinator Protection Plans

Field evaluation of pollenizers for resistance to Fusarium wilt of watermelon in Maryland, 2014