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Old February 15, 2013   #41
travis
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Evansville, IN
Posts: 2,984
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Red Baron:

Semi-determinate, as I said above, is a widely accepted designation of tomato vine growth type. You can Google "semi-determinate" for many discussions and descriptions of semi-determinate varieties and plant growth characteristics.

What I describe as "semi-indeterminate" is a growth pattern that varies to a degree, only noticeable by close observation, from fully indeterminate growth pattern. Fully indeterminate tomato vines generally put out their first efflorescence at the 5th to 7th internode along the main stem, then repeat efflorescences every third internode thereafter. The same pattern applies to all side shoots of fully indeterminate tomato vines.

What I call "semi-indeterminate" pattern is where a vine that appears otherwise to be indeterminate, will put out its first efflorescence at the 5th to 7th internode, then repeat efflorescences alternately at the second or third internode, and occassionally right on a node opposite the leaf pediole ... so you occasionally see a fruit cluster emerge right on the leaf node (rather than within the internodal stem segment), and opposite the leaf frond. Additionally, the semi-indeterminate meristem and side shoots never terminate with a terminal efflorescence as do fully determinate and semi-determinate vines. This "semi-indeterminate" type of growth pattern obviously has the potential to produce significantly more fruit than a fully indeterminate pattern. And that is why I select for it in the MoCross grow-outs.

I'd like to thank Mischka and Tomatoville for allowing my explanations, and hope my explanations have helped reduce the confusion and questionability of what you have read here and at other websites regarding my germplasm.

Bill Jeffers

Last edited by travis; February 15, 2013 at 04:15 PM.
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