Bir hastalık değil, fizyolojik bir durum. Organik olmasıyla da ilgisi bulunmuyor.
Bu duruma
catface ismi veriliyor.
Tanımı da
şöyle verilmiş:
"Catface
Catfacing is a generic term used to describe a tomato fruit that has a gross deformity and is usually not marketable. The defect is usually located on the blossom end of the fruit. The deformity caused by something (internal or external) that occurs during the formation of the flower that results in the fruit not developing normally.
There is little published information as to the exact cause, and there actually may be more than a single cause. Cool or cold temperatures that occur about three weeks before bloom can increase the amount of catfacing. In general, jointless varieties are more prone to catfacing than jointed varieties.Heavy pruning in indeterminate varieties has shown to increase catfacing, but this has not shown to happen in our short-stake varieties.
In indeterminate varieties, this is thought to be related to reduction in auxins in the plant from removing the growing points. Drifts of herbicides such as 2,4-D can cause fruit to catface. Heavy thrips feeding on young fruit can cause a type of catfacing. Also, fruit on plants that are mildly affected by little leaf (see EDIS Publication HS-883 for more information) are severely catfaced. There is no known control.
Varieties should be selected that historically have had little problems for catfacing. Try to prevent spray drift from undesirable chemicals and, in the case of little leaf, prevent soils from becoming waterlogged. "
Özetin özeti, meyvenin altında bulunan bu gibi deformasyonlar çiçek sırasında oluşur. Çiçek hemen öncesi havanın fazla serin ve yağışlı olması, çiçeklere herhangi bir dış müdahale (
söz gelimi thripsler) buna sebep olabilir. Sırık tip bitkilerin fazla budanması durumunda bu gibi deformasyonların arttığı gözlemlenmiş. Bitkinin yapraklarının küçük olması durumunda da daha fazla rastlanırmış. Bazı herbisitler de bu duruma sebep olurmuş (
sizde söz konusu olduğunu sanmam).