Tomato Cultivation
Tomato Cultivation
Tomato Cultivation
Varieties
Improved varieties
Arka Saurabh, Arka Vikas, Arka Ahuti, Arka Ashish, Arka Abha , Arka Alok, HS101,
HS102, HS110, Hisar Arun, Hisar Lalima, Hisar Lalit, Hisar Anmol, KS.2, Narendra
Tomato 1, Narendra Tomato 2, Pusa Red Plum, Pusa Early Dwarf, Pusa Ruby, Co-1,
CO 2, CO 3, S-12, Punjab Chhuhara, PKM 1, Pusa Ruby, Paiyur-1, Shakthi, SL 120,
Pusa Gaurav, S 12, Pant Bahar, Pant T3, Solan Gola and Arka Meghali.
F1 hybrids:
Arka Abhijit, Arka Shresta, Arka Vishal, Arka Vardan, Pusa Hybrid 1, Pusa Hybrid 2,
COTH 1 Hybrid Tomato, Rashmi, Vaishali, Rupali, Naveen, Avinash 2, MTH 4,
Sadabahar, Gulmohar and Sonali.
Climatic Requirement
The tomato is a warm-season crop. The crop does well under an average monthly
temperature of 210C to 230C. Temperature and light intensity affect the fruit-set,
pigmentation and nutritive value of the fruit. Long dry spell and heavy rainfall both
shows detrimental effect on growth and fruiting.
Soils
The tomato grows on practically all soils from light sandy to heavy clay. Light soils are
good for an early crop, while clay loam and silt-loam soils are well suited for heavy
yields. Tomatoes do best in a soil that has a soil reaction from pH 6.0 to 7.0. If the soil is
acidic liming is required.
Seed rate
For raising the seedlings in nursery bed 300 - 400 g/ha seeds are required.
Hybrid seeds are very costly so it should be sown in plastic cups or ice cube tray,
which require only 70-90 g.
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Time of planting
Raising seedlings
Seed treatment
To avoid damping off disease treats the seed with Tricoderma @ 5-10 g/Kg seed
or carbendazim 2g/Kg seed.
The treated seeds are dried in shade for 30 minutes and then sown sparsely along
the lines in ½ cm depth and then covered by the topsoil.
2
Land preparation
Land is prepared to a fine tilth by thorough ploughing or digging 2 - 3 times. At the last
ploughing organic manure and 10 kg carbofuran granules or 200 kg neem cake has to be
applied
Manuring
Apply well rotten farm yard manure / compost @ 20-25 t/ha at the time of land
preparation and mix well with the soil. A fertilizer dose of 75:40:25 kg N:P2O5:K2O / ha
may be given. Half the dose of nitrogen, full phosphorus and half of potash may be
applied as basal before transplanting. One fourth of nitrogen and half of potash may be
applied 20-30 days after planting. The remaining quantity may be applied two months
after planting.
Transplanting
The transplanting is done in small flat beds or in shallow furrow depending upon
the availability of irrigation.
In heavy soil it is usually transplanted on ridges and during the rains also it is
advantageous to plant the seedlings on ridges.
For indeterminate varieties/hybrids, the seedlings have to be staked using bamboo
sticks of two meter length or planted in broad ridge of 90 cm width and 15 cm
height. The seedlings are planted in the furrows at a spacing of 30 cm and the
plant is allowed to spread on the broad ridge.
Spacing
The spacing recommended for the autumn-winter crop is 75 x 60 cm and for the spring-
summer crop 75 x 45 cm.
Irrigation
Tomatoes need very careful irrigation that is just sufficient water at the right time. It is
necessary to maintain an even moisture supply. During summer season, irrigation at
every 5to 7 days interval is necessary, whereas in winter 10 to 15 days interval is
sufficient. A period of drought followed by sudden heavy watering during the fruiting
period may cause cracking of fruits.
Weed Control
There is need of light hoeing during first four weeks in the field which encourage
the growth but also remove the weeds from the field. The surface soil is loosened
3
by hand hoeing as soon as it is dry enough after every irrigation or shower. All
weeds should also be removed in this process.
Mulching with straw, black polythene and many other materials has been found
beneficial in moisture conservation, in controlling weeds and some diseases.
Plant protection
Insects
4
Insects Management
Two rows of marigold for every 16 rows of tomato can be grown as a trap crop.
Marigold flowers attract egg laying of H. armigera.
Spray 5% neem seed kernel extract to kill early stages larvae.
Placement of 15-20 bird perches (T shaped) per ha helps in inviting insectivorous
birds.
Spray NPV @ 625 LE/ha during evening hours.
Jaggery @ 1 kg, sandovit or Teepol(100 ml) are to be mixed with NPV on need
basis spary 2 ml Endosulfan, Chlorpyriphos or Quinolphos per litre of water
Application of chopped leaves of Pongamia or Crotalaria reduces disease severity
caused by nematode.
Farmers of the Andhra Pradesh uses garlic+ chilly extract and slurry of cow dung
+ urine for protection against pest and diseases.
Disease
Tomato is attacked vast range of fungus, bacteria and viruses. The most common
diseases are anthracnose, bacterial spot, bacterial blight, bacterial canker, buck eye rot,
damping off, early blight , fusarium blight, late blight, leaf curl, mosaic, powdery
mildew, rots, and septorial leaf blight. Few major disease are discussed below.
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Early Blight Alternaria solani
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Black mold rot Alternaria alternata, Stemphylium botryosum
Disease Management
Soil solorization or partial sterilisation of the soil by burning trash on the surface
Seed treatment with tricoderma 5-10g or carbendazim 2g or thirum3 g/Kg seed.
Field sanitation
Crop rotation with non-solanaceous
Providing better drainage, forming raised beds
Uproot the heavily infected or virus infected plants
Sanitation and crop rotation reduces the disease incidence
Spraying the plants with a mixture of Streptocycline 200 ppm and Copper
oxychloride 3g per litre of water gives fairly good control of the disease.