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Ontario, Canada.

Increases in tomato fruit size, result presumably by increasing the source to sink ratio. We seem to have this locked down.

Sink Source feedback of photosynthate & its distribution via the location of the leaves (ahead of or behind the fruit) is a notion that has never been documented or proven.

However this quote below makes one think. Limiting the demand for xylem flow may indeed be a large factor in fruit size at least during its formation and early after pollination. There are a host of other reasons for the huge size of the "Real MacCoy" fruit we have yet to discover. but this has my wheels spinning.

"Tomato's have a strong sink capacity and potential. Fruit growth of the tomato is determined by the import of water, nutrients and assimilates from other parts of the plant. It has been shown that, during fruit development, 90% of all water enters the fruit via the phloem and that water import via the xylem almost completely ceases approximately 25 d after anthesis (DAA) (Ehret and Ho, 1986a, b; Ho et al., 1987). It therefore seems logical to assume that somewhere along the xylem transport path between shoot and fruits a large hydraulic resistance exists."

http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/content/54/381/317.full

8/26/2014 8:55:11 AM

Allentown, PA

Very good, this link may also assisting breaking out exactly what the phloem is and it's responsibility.

https://www.msu.edu/~walwort8/page2.html#menu

8/26/2014 9:16:46 AM

Ontario, Canada.

One other factor that is interesting is the acid components in Ron's and Tim's Uncle Dunkles product that Dan was using may have allowed for transport of Ca in the phloem.

Calcium with Amino Acid Chelates
and the Translocation of Ca.

The two highways in our plants are the two way phloem and the one way xylem. They extend out widely to all parts of the plants extended vascular network.

Nutrients are carried throughout the network by Chelation or joining together the elements to form molecules. This is natural process as the soils elements are naturally transformed by the plant into amino acids before entering the plants root system.

Glycine chelates (amino acids) are a type of natural chelator that has been proven to be the most effective in
supplying mineral nutrients to plants in order to correct nutrient deficiencies. Glycine is the smallest amino acid with a low molecular weight. Claims abound about glycines ability to transport Ca through the leaf structures and into the phloem by disguising them as proteins.

In truth, if Ca and Amino Acid foliar solutions actually translocate into and move into the plants phloem networks including the fruit sink this could be exciting news.

But where is the science? Lets talk

8/26/2014 9:35:37 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Thanks for the link. I am hot on this topic right now. I have two browsers running and 20 pages open researching this.

from your link

"Cytokinin signaling is also required to maintain cell identities other than xylem and is therefore important for the formation of phloem."

Kinetin products are synthetic cytokinin while kelp is a natural source. Using these products may also help to build and robust peduncle and hence a larger formed phloem.

Will a bigger pipe lead to greater possibility of importation of additional assimilates from other parts of the plant?

8/26/2014 9:49:52 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

And the final conclusion is?

8/27/2014 8:30:08 AM

Corbin, KY

I am not an agronomist, plant sceintist, or cheminst. But, the folks I buy chelated minerals from are. They say they work and DO translocate minerals into the phloem. Calcium included.

8/27/2014 12:04:39 PM

Ontario, Canada.

There are many companies out there that have the philosophy that because your plants can not produce enough exudates. Therefore in order to build the needed micro community, they will produce and sell products or facilitators that will assist in the health of the soil or cause additional absorption into the leaves. Please Note that here is scant and very little scientific evidence that these products work, however the philosophy behind their development is backed by science.

These products may contain various types of carbohydrates, protein, glucose, sea weed extracts, organic acids, organic humates such as humic acid, amino acids, and simple organic extracts of composed manure or lenordite.

There are now abundant claims that as Tim states L-amino acids & Calcium can translocate with his product as the chelator. Not all amino acids chelate equally. Amino acids, from hydrolyzed protein (animal or plant such as kelps) do not give the strongest chelation nor provide optimum uptake and translocation.


It appears as if we are in the golden age of giant growing. You have to be the judge of whether or not they are helping.

After the 8.41 accomplishment I am now a strong believe.

8/27/2014 9:56:10 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Absorption is only one aspect of a foliar fertilizer. In addition, the absorbed nutrient generally must be translocated throughout the plant and more importantly its sinks.

Growers until recently have only had one tool in the war chest for translocation of Calcium and that was Fulvic Acid. This connection was first discussed by Dr Linderman at the convention many years ago.

However, in comparison FA's ability to translocate Ca to a developing sink appears to be meager when compared with Amino Acids.

8/27/2014 10:07:10 PM

Ontario, Canada.

There you go Marv, Get some Unkle Dunkles.

8/27/2014 10:08:21 PM

valparaiso, in

Better yet Marv get a green house.

8/27/2014 10:31:04 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Stay away from the Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein derived types they are not as good.

8/27/2014 10:36:19 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

I have been using Uncle Dunkel and I believe that it does make a difference. It contains micronutrients tied to an amine making a very small molecule with no electrical charge, amine chelated micronutrients. Because the molecule is so small and has no electrical charge it enters the stomata of the tomato leaf more readily than some of the other products available. It may enter through the tomato epidermis as well. I plan on using it again next year. I am continuing to look for more information about amine chelated micronutrients but everything I have found so far points to definite increases in crop sizes. That is why the farmers using it are willing to pay for it. Bigger crop profits. And, I am thinking and hoping, bigger tomatoes.

8/29/2014 8:40:02 AM