Inducing Monocarpic Senescence to Increase Fruit Yield of Solanum lycopersicum

Overview

Objective/Problem Statement: The purpose of this project is to understand how stressing a tomato plant affects fruit production. Will stress-induced monocarpic senescence cause the plant to fruit faster and increase crop yield? By decreasing the frequency of watering, thereby inducing monocarpic senescence, it is predicted that the plant will be forced to fruit earlier, increasing crop yield while also conserving water. Procedures: Three groups of 3 plants each were propagated over 10 weeks. The control group was watered with 1 L daily, whereas the 2 variable groups were watered 1 L every other day or 1 L every 3 days. Upon ripening, tomatoes were harvested on a weekly basis. The tomatoes were then counted and measured by size and weight. Results: On average, the plants watered every 3 days fruited 2 weeks faster than the controls (p<0.05), yielding 38% more by fruit count and 34% more by harvest weight before senescing. Fruit size and quality were similar across groups, regardless of watering frequency. Watering every 3 days conserved 32 liters of water per plant over 10 weeks. Conclusions: Stressing a tomato plant induces monocarpic senescence, causing the plant to fruit faster and increase crop yield. Decreasing the frequency of watering to every 3 days achieved statistically significant results, as the average plant fruited 2 weeks earlier and produced 38% more fruit over 10 weeks without sacrificing size or quality. These results have important implications for commercial agriculture and water conservation.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Plant Biology (Junior Division) · Entry J-18-06

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