Tomato Farming (Cultivation), Pests, Diseases and Treatment

Introduction: Tomatoes were introduced to Europe by the Spaniards in the early 16th century. The Spaniards were the first to use it as a food. In France and Northern Europe, tomatoes were initially grown as ornamental plants. Tomatoes were introduced from Europe to North America.

World's Second Largest Crop: Tomatoes are the world's second largest crop after potatoes and onions and in addition to the fields, tomatoes are also grown in tunnels.

Tomato is Not a Vegetable: Tomatoes are generally considered a vegetable, but they are not a vegetable but a fruit.

Shape of Tomato Plants: Tomato plants usually have many branches, spreading up to 60 cm (24 inches) and reaching a height of 45 cm (18 inches). But some types grow up straight. The leaves are more or less hairy and fragrant. Its flowers are yellow with five petals. Fruits are 1.5 to 7.5 cm (0.6 to 3 inches) in diameter or larger. They are usually red or yellow. They range in shape from round to elliptical. Each fruit has small seeds in a jelly-like pulp.

Be Careful: The roots and leaves of the tomato plants are poisonous and contain the Neurotoxin Solanine (Solanine is a Glycoalkaloid Poison that is created by various plants in the Genus Solanum, for example Tomato & potato plants. So, the leaves of these plants are not eaten).

Major Tomato Growing Countries in the World: The major tomato growing countries in the world are China, India, USA, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Italy, Spain and Brazil. Tomato is one of the most cultivated crops in India. Tomato is also a very important crop in terms of income.

Worldwide Annual Yield of Tomatoes: Worldwide annual yield of tomatoes is about 163.96 million tons.

Tomato Cultivation Season: Tomato is a special summer crop but can be grown in tunnels even in winter season.

Nutritional Benefits of Tomatoes: Tomatoes are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Antioxidants. The demand for tomatoes remains almost the same throughout the year.

Tomatoes are also used fresh as well as cooked in a variety of foods.

Suitable Temperature for Tomato Cultivation: Tomato is a hot season crop. The tomato crop cannot withstand the cold. Tomato plants need at least 6 hours a day, preferably 8 to 10 hours of sunlight. The best and most suitable temperature for tomato cultivation is 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F). At 21°C to 24°C, tomatoes get the best red color. Temperatures below 13 degrees Celsius and above 35 degrees Celsius reduces tomato production and fruit does not turn red. In extreme heat, when temperatures exceed 43 degrees Celsius, the tomato plants burn and the flowers and small fruits fall off.

Suitable Land for Tomato Cultivation: Medium black soil with good drainage is the most suitable for tomato cultivation. Tomatoes should not be grown on land with poor drainage. The pH of this soil should be from 6 to 7.

Seedlings Preparation Time for Tomato Cultivation: For preparation of seedlings

(Paneeri) of tomatoes, Seeds are sown in the months of May, June for Kharif Crop, in September, October for Rabi Crop and in December, January for summer Crop.

For the preparation of seedlings, clean the beds from harmful bacteria, fungi and other insect larvae.

Size of Beds for Making Tomato Seedlings: Beds should be 3 to 4 meters long, 120 cm wide and 15 cm high from the ground level. It is best to prepare the seedlings in plastic trays. Sow the seeds in rows and cover them with a layer of soft soil. Sprinkle water on it and cover it with straw (paddy i.e. dry rice plants) or green leaves and leave it till the seeds germinate. The seedlings, prepared in the months of May, June and September-October, is ready to be transplanted in the open fields or pots in 30 to 45 days. But seedlings prepared in the months of December and January, when the temperature is below 13 degrees Celsius, it is not possible to transplant tomato seedlings in the open air, so it is transplanted in ventilated tunnels. In the tunnels, the seedlings are ready to be transplanted to the fields or pots in 25 to 30 days. If you don't want to prepare the seedlings yourself, buy it from a well reputed nursery farm. Good seedling plants are dark green in color. The stems of these plants are straight and strong and there are no yellow spots on the leaves.

Varieties of Tomatoes

Roma, Beef-Tomato, Sahil, FM 9, Ana-Seminis, Hybrid Tomato, Topsin-M, Benlate, Rio Grande, Money-Maker, Cherry Tomato

Roma tomatoes are not usually eaten fresh, but are the best for making sauces and ketchup .

Transplantation of Seedlings in Field Or Pots: For Transplantation of Seedlings in Field, dig the soil to a depth of about 1 foot. Mix manure and leaf manure in it but do not plant in it for 2 weeks. For transplanting the seedlings, the temperature of the soil should be 60- 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Before transplanting the seedlings in the field or pots, spray the soil with a fungicide such as Bavistin or Humic Acid. Make trenches 3 to 4 inches deep for transplanting the seedlings.

Distance between Plants and Rows: If the seedlings are being transplanted in summer, keep a distance of 75 cm between plants and 45 cm between rows. If it is being transplanted in the rainy season, keep the distance between the plants 2 to 3 feet and the distance between the rows 2 feet i.e. 60 cm so that there is enough space for the plants to grow and spread. At shorter distances, the plants will not receive adequate sunshine and will not bear fruit. If drip-irrigation is to be used for irrigation of tomato crop, keep distance between plants and rows 50x50 cm.

Requirement of Fertilizer for Tomato Crop: Before transplanting seedlings, mix a trolley of manure and leaves per acre. Then add 60 kg of Nitrogen, 80 kg of Phosphorus and 60 kg of Potash per acre. Use 30 kg Nitrogen per acre after 30 to 45 days of transplanting the seedlings.

Need of Support for Tomato Plants: Varieties of tomatoes that have longer plants need support. As plants grow, support them with rope or wire. The advantage of this support is that the fruit does not rot/spoil in soil and water and the yield is higher.

Water Requirement for Tomato Crop: To get maximum yield from tomato crop, water the plants at intervals of 6 to 7 days in summer and 10 to 15 days in winter. If possible, use drip-irrigation. Drip-irrigation saves 60 to 70% of water and also increases production by 20 to 25%. Lack of water causes tomato fruit to explode, so it is important to water regularly to prevent the fruit from exploding.

Weed Control in Tomato Crop: Destroy the weeds 20 to 25 days after transplanting the tomato seedlings. Weeds not only use plants food but also provide habitat for harmful pests. To prevent these weeds from growing, spread a black polythene plastic sheet of 50 micron thick between the rows of tomato plants. It controls 95% of weeds. If a plastic sheet is not available, Sugarcane Bagasse can also be used for mulching. It also controls about 60% of weeds.

Tomato Size: Tomatoes come in various sizes. There are many varieties of tomatoes, from small Cherries to large variety of Beef Steak.

Picking of Tomatoes Fruit: The period of fruiting of tomato plants can be from 60 to 100 days. Picking of tomato fruit from plants depends on how far its farm is from the market.

1. Transportation of Tomato Fruit to the Distant Market: If tomato fruit is to be sent a distant market, pick the tomatoes when they are full in size but green in color.

2. Transportation of Tomato Fruit to the Nearby Market: If tomato fruit is to be sent to the nearby market, pick the tomatoes when they turn pink.

3. Selling Fruit in the Local Market: To sell tomatoes in the local market, pick them when they turn red on the plants. If you want to make ketchup from tomatoes, then also pick them after they turn red on the plants.

Packing of Tomato: After picking the fruit from tomato plants, classify it and pack them in corrugated boxes.

Average Yield of Tomato: The average yield of tomato is 250 to 400 quintals (1 quintal= 100kg) per acre. However, with the adoption of modern farming methods and techniques, yields of 750 to 800 quintals per acre can be achieved.

Insects That Damage Tomato Plants

1. Fruit Borer: Female of Fruit Borer lays eggs on flowers. The larvae that hatch from these eggs first feed on the leaves and then start eating the fruit. These larvae pierce the fruit and insert half of their body into the fruit. They reduce fruit yield by 40 to 50%.

Treatment: i. Grow Marigold Plants in the tomato field. In this way, the initial attack of pests occurs on these plants and the tomato plants are protected from the damage of pests.

ii. If the onset of the disease is severe, spray Ha NPV viruses 42 days after transplanting the seedlings.

2. Whiteflies: Whiteflies are very harmful to tomatoes. These are responsible for spreading leaf curl virus. Whitefly sucks the sap from the leaves which causes the shape of the leaves to deteriorate.

Treatment: i. Use Yellow Sticky Fly Traps to indicate an early whitefly attack.

ii. If whitefly is identified by Yellow Sticky Fly Traps, spray with 2 ml Dimethoate 30 EC per liter of water.

iii. Spray with 0.3 ml Imidacloprid 20 SL per liter of water if required after 15 days of tomato transplanting. But do not use this spray on the stage of fruiting at all as its toxic effects remain in the fruit.

3. Leafminer: These are polyphagous pests that cause severe damage to the tomato crop. Polyphagous insects are the insects that feed on economically important agricultural and horticultural crops. These insects make holes in the leaves, which reduces the process of photosynthesis in the leaves, so the leaves begin to fall off and produce defective fruit which cannot be sold in the market.

Treatment: i. While transplanting in the field or within a week after transplanting, break off the affected leaves.

ii. While transplanting in the field, use 250 kg of Neem-Cake per acre and repeat this process after 25 days.

iii. Spray Neem Seed Powder Extract 4%.

iv. If the attack is severe, remove the affected leaves and spray with 1 ml Triazophos 40 EC mixed in 1 liter of water.

4. Root-Knot Nematodes: These insects affect the ability of plants to carry food and water. This stops the growth of plants, turns the leaves yellow and reduces yields.

Treatment: Cultivate varieties of tomatoes that are resistant to nematodes.

Grow Marigoldgold plants in the tomato crop.

Use 1 kg Carbofuran 3G per acre while planting.

Diseases of the Tomato Plants:

1. Alternaria Blight

Symptoms of the disease: Spots appear on the edges of the leaves. The disease usually appears during flowering and before flowering period.

Treatment: i. Always use healthy and authentic seeds obtained from disease free plants.

ii. Collect and burn parts and fruits of diseased plants. Do not put them in the compost heap.

iii. Spray with Chlorothalonil 0.2% at intervals of 8 days.

2. Powdery Mildew: This disease appears in the form of white powdery spots on the leaves. This powder spreads rapidly on diseased leaves. The leaves turn yellow and begin to fall off.

Treatment: i. When the symptoms of this disease appear, dissolve 25 grams of sulfur 0.25% sulfur in 10 liters of water and spray 2 to 3 times at intervals of 10 days.

ii. To control the disease, spray with 10 grams of Bavistin in 10 liters of water.

3. Late Blight: This disease appears in the form of yellow spots on the leaves which change color to first purple brown and then almost black. The edges of these spots become yellowish green by soaking in water. Infected fruit, first turns brown and then purple. The disease occurs in humid weather.

Treatment: i. Tomato seeds should be taken from disease free plants.

ii. Take care of cleanliness of tomato farm.

iii. To prevent the fruit from falling to the ground, the plants should be supported with ropes, wires or sticks.

iv. As a precaution in rainy season, spray with 2.5 g of Mancozeb 75% Mancozeb per liter of water at intervals of 5 to 7 days.

4. Leaf Curl Complex: In this disease, the leaves of plants become curly and the growth of plants stops. The virus of this disease is spread by whiteflies. The symptoms of disease appear in the months of September, October and November.

Treatment: i. Make sure the cleanliness of tomato-farm and do not allow weeds to grow.

ii. Use yellow sticky cards to prevent whiteflies attack.

iii. Spray 396 ml Dimethoate 30% EC mixed in 200 to 400 liters of water per acre.

iv. Imidacloprid 17.8 SL mixed in 60 to 70 ml in 200 liters of water and spray per acre.

v. Mix 80 gms of Thiamethoxam 25 WG in 200 liters of water and spray per acre.

Cultivation of Tomatoes in Pots and Containers: For growing tomatoes in pots or containers, use large pots or containers with a diameter of at least 20 inches and a hole in the bottom for drainage. To prevent the waste of excess water from the pots, place a tray under each pot. Transplant a tomato plant in each pot and keep the pots in a place where it can get at least 6 hours of sunshine every day. Cherry tomatoes are suitable for planting in pots.

Caring of Tomato Plants in Pots or Containers: As soil in pots dries out faster than a field, so check it daily and keep the soil moist especially in hot weather. Water the tomato plants in the morning to keep the soil moist throughout the day. However, avoid excessive watering. Spread 2 to 4 inches of organic mulch such as straw, grass or leaves on the soil to retain moisture. Low humidity can also affect yields. Ideal humidity is 40 to 70%.

To get rid of many pests like aphids, spray water on the plants with a good jet or use insecticide soap to control aphids and spider mites. Spray of Neem-oil also kills insects.

Need of Fertilizer for Tomato Plants in Pots or Containers: When the tomato fruit is about 1 inch in diameter, i.e. Golf Ball Size, then use organic granular fertilizer such as Epsoma Tomato Tone (N4-P7-K10 or N3-P4-K6). Pull the mulch a little to apply the fertilizer and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of fertilizer around each plant and water it and bring the mulch back to its place.

Avoid Use of High Nitrogen Fertilizers: Do not use high Nitrogen fertilizers. Too much Nitrogen can make plants more green, but plants cannot produce more flowers and fruits.