This work aimed to study the influence of plant spacing and level of basal leaves defoliation on yield characteristics of tomato. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design in a factorial 2x4 with five replications. Two spacings (0.30 and 0.50 m) and four levels of defoliation (0, 50% and 100% of basal leaves removed after fruiting the first cluster and 100% of basal leaves removed after harvest of the first cluster). It was evaluated the number of normal, defective and total fruits per cluster, mass of normal, defective and total fruits per cluster, longitudinal and transversal diameter of the normal fruits; and productivity of normal and total fruits per cluster. Removing the basal leaves is favorable for production, when there is a higher plant density, and must be performed before the formation of the first cluster. For more spaced plants the basal leaves influenced these characteristics, not being favorable their removal during the formation of the first cluster, but after sampling this. Defoliation is a practice that can be used to increase aeration, improving the utilization of solar radiation and reduce pest problems.
Solanum lycopersicum L.; planting density; basal defoliation; crop management; removal of leaves
