Consumers are motivated to purchase locally grown tomatoes for a maximum flavor experience. With this demand, tomatoes are highly valuable in the local food system and one of the most profitable crops for small, diversified farms. Tomato production in Oklahoma, and other warm climates, can be difficult with the fruit’s temperature requirements for fruit set. Optimum conditions are available for a short period in Oklahoma. The additional threat of climate change could present even more challenging growing conditions in the future. There are heat tolerant tomatoes available, but these cultivars still have an upper limit for stress exposure. Previous research shows that there are distinct physiological differences between heat tolerant and heat sensitive cultivars, but these evaluations focus primarily on the early stages of the plant’s development. We aim to investigate the differences in cultivars throughout the entire plant life cycle. A field experiment will include six cultivars at different planting dates, showing a range of responses. The three planting dates will impose different temperature regimes throughout plant development. Physiological measurements will be recorded at regular intervals from transplanting through harvest. These parameters will include chlorophyll fluorescence, stomatal conductance, and electrolyte leakage. The results will assist with development of a model that enhances Oklahoma tomato production capacity through optimizing cultivar selection.
