In some cases, excess heat, 2,4-D injury, and erratic soil moisture can lead to catfacing. High nitrogen has also been shown to aggravate this disorder. Catfacing is cultivar specific and appears more frequently on older cultivars. Large-fruited cultivars are most susceptible. Concentric cracking produces circular cracks around the stem end of the fruit.
Radial cracks spread outward from the stem scar.
These cracks typically appear as the fruit matures. Growth cracks often appear when conditions drastically change the rate of growth, such as wide fluctuations in temperature and moisture. Dry weather followed by heavy rains causes radial cracking in many tomato cultivars. Very susceptible cultivars will crack while still green, those that are somewhat resistant often don t crack until the fruit has reached the breaker stage. The earlier the fruit cracks, the deeper the cracks become.