Cat-facing, or catfacing, refers to a type of

physiological Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

damage affecting

tomatoes The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originated from and was d ...

and represented by scarring and cavities near the blossom end. It is the abnormal development of plant tissue affecting the ovary or female sex organ ( pistilate), which results in the flower, followed by the fruit development to become malformed. It is called "cat-facing" because the abnormal cracking and dimpling on tomatoes, peaches, apples and even grapes, looks somewhat akin to a small cat’s face. This condition is usually caused by unfavorable growing conditions like drops in temperature and poor soil. Cat-facing appears when part of the fruit develops before the rest, disease, or by insect adults and nymphs feeding on the surface of the fruit as indicated by unsightly dimpling, deformity, and deciduous scarring. Similar damage can also appear on fruits such as

peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called nectarines. Peac ...

apples An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

and

grapes A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

. Fruit that has catface abnormalities can still be eaten but is not necessarily marketable.

Causes of Cat-facing

While it is uncertain, temperatures below 60 F. (16 C.) for a number of successive days when plants are immature — about three weeks prior to blooming — appear to coincide with tomato catfacing fruit

deformity A deformity, dysmorphism, or dysmorphic feature is a major abnormality of an organism that makes a part of the body appear or function differently than how it is supposed to. Causes Deformity can be caused by a variety of factors: *Arthritis a ...

. The result is incomplete pollination, which creates the deformity.

Physical trauma Injury is physiology, physiological damage to the living tissue of any organism, whether Injury in humans, in humans, Injury in animals, in other animals, or Injury in plants, in plants. Injuries can be caused in many ways, including mechanic ...

to the blossom can also cause cat-facing. Additionally, catfacing may appear if the fruit has exposure to

herbicides Herbicides (, ), also commonly known as weed killers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds.EPA. February 201Pesticides Industry. Sales and Usage 2006 and 2007: Market Estimates. Summary in press releasMain page f ...

containing phenoxy. Excess nitrogen levels in the soil media can also aggravate the issue as well as aggressive pruning.

Thrips Thrips (Order (biology) , order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Entomologists have species description , described approximately 7,700 species. They fly on ...

, tiny slender insects with fringed wings, may also contribute as an origin for catfacing. Plants that are infected with Tomato Little Leaf are also susceptible to tomato fruit catfacing deformity.

How to Treat Cat-facing

Little can be done to control the abnormality. Proper growing practices revolving around monitoring temperature, overt pruning, and nitrogen levels in soils should be accomplished. Also, avoid the use of hormonal herbicides and the potential drift that may accompany their use. Finally, grow only varieties that historically have no issue with catfacing disorder; and in the case of Little Leaf infection, prevent the soil from becoming sodden by irrigation control and well-draining soil.

References

{{Reflist

External links

* Fact Sheet Cat-facin

* Tomato catfacin

Tomato diseases