Three field experiments were carried out in Caçador, Santa Catarina State, Brazil, during 1998/1999, 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 seasons to study four lopping heights of the tops (above the 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th clusters) and four-plant spacings between plants (0.30; 0.45; 0.60, and 0.75 m). Plant spacing between rows of tomato cv. Diva was of 1.0 m, in all studied treatments and years of the research. Experiments were designed in randomized blocks, with three replicates in a factorial scheme (4 x 4). Plants were staked as crossed fence, using bamboo sticks as tutors. The yield, number of fruits, percentage and average weight of marketable fruits, plant height and stem base diameter were evaluated. Higher plant spacing resulted in a reduction of plant height, of the number and yield of commercial and total fruits. However, larger plant spacing provided higher average values of stem diameter and average weight of commercial fruits. In turn, the higher number of fruit clusters resulted in higher tomato plants, in the number of tomato fruits and yield of commercial and total fruits. However, more clusters in a plant reduced the stem diameter and the average weight of the commercial fruits.
Lycopersicon esculentum; yield; average fruit weight
