Tropical and subtropical vegetables (2+1)

Sun scald

• Exposed portion of either green or nearly ripe fruits get blistered and water soaked due to extreme heat of scorching sunshine. Rapid desiccation in the blistered portion turns the sunken areas white or grey in green fruits and yellow in pink or red fruits. Sun scalding may cause inhibition of fruits softening, production of tough tissues and differential fruit ripening. This problem is common in plants that have lost considerable foliage. For this reason, training and pruning in tomato aggravate this disorder because foliage cover over the fruit is reduced in these cultural practices. Cultivars with heavy foliage cover are least affected by this disorder.

Control
1) Protection of plants from defoliation by diseases and insect pests
2) Training and pruning in summer months should be avoided