The researchers wanted to see how the amount of leaves on tomato plants affects the amount and quality of the fruit they produce. They compared two methods to measure leaf area and found that more stems per plant led to more leaves and more fruit, but smaller fruit size. Using a special tool called a ceptometer, they could quickly and accurately estimate the leaf area. They also discovered that more sunlight helps the plants grow better. Overall, having more stems on tomato plants can increase the number of fruits, but they might be smaller in size.