Effect of Sodium Chloride on Fruit Ripening of the Nonripening Tomato Mutants nor and rin.

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) plants of the nonripening mutant nor, the ripening-inhibited mutant rin, and the normal cultivar ;Rutgers' were grown in nutrient solution supplemented with 3 grams per liter NaCl from the time of anthesis. In plants treated with NaCl, all the ripening parameters of the fruits of the nor mutant increased, but those of the rin mutant did not. The ripening of the fruits of the NaCl-treated nor plants was characterized by the development of a red color and taste, increased pectolytic activity, and increased evolution of CO(2) and ethylene. These changes do not normally take place in nor under control conditions. The values of these ripening parameters in nor were lower than those of the normal Rutgers fruits. In addition, both in nor and rin and in the normal variety, exposure of the plants to NaCl shortened the developmental period of the fruit, decreased the fruit size, and increased the concentrations of total soluble solids, Na(+), Cl(-), reducing sugars, and titratable acids in the fruit. The role of NaCl in overcoming the inability of nor to ripen is discussed.