Vegetable Crops

HYBRID TOMATO

Soil Type & pH

Tomato can be grown on a wide range of soils from sandy to heavy clay. However, well-drained, sandy or red loam soils rich in organic matter with a pH range of 6.0 to 7.0 are considered as ideal.

Sowing Period

Seeds are sown in January to February for summer crop, June to July for Rainy crop, October to November for Rabi crop. Sowing time may change as per local condition and climate also.

Seed Rate

40 to 60 Gms seeds are sufficient for raising nursery for one acre land.

Spacing & Transplanting

Spacing depends upon the type of variety grown and the season of planting. Normally the seedlings are transplanted at a spacing of 90 to 120 cms by 45 cms. Seedlings are transplanted in furrows in light soils and on side of the ridges in case of heavy soils. A pre-soaking irrigation is given 3 to 4 days prior to transplanting. Transplanting should preferably be done in the evening.

Manure

Well decomposed farm yard manure 10 to 15 tonnes per acre. Green manure crop before the main crop is also suitable. The fertilizers dose depends upon soil fertility & amount of organic manure applied to the crop.

Fertilizers
Time of Application
DAP
CAN or UREA
MOP (Potash)
Remarks
Basal dose
200 Kg/Acre 100 Kg/Acre
First Top Dressing (25 DAT)
100 Kg CAN or

50 Kg Urea/Acre

25 Kg/Acre
Second Top Dressing (45-50 DAT)
100 Kg CAN or

50 Kg Urea/Acre

25 Kg/Acre
Third Top Dressing (75 DAT)
(This dose is optional)
25 Kg Urea/Acre 10-15 Kg/Acre micro nutrient spray at the time of flowering & fruit setting
Irrigation

Light irrigation should be given 3 to 4 days after transplanting. Irrigation intervals should be according to soil type and rainfall – Irrigation should be given 7 to 8 days interval during Kharif, during Rabi 10 to 12 days and 4 to 5 days during summer. Flowering and Fruit Development are the critical stages of tomato therefore water stress should not be given during this period. Heavy irrigation provided after a long spell of drought causes cracking of the fruits. Hence, it should be avoided.

Intercultural Operations

Field should be kept weeds free by weeding at regular intervals.

Major Pests & Diseases
Pests/Diseases
Management
Damping Off
Soil drenching of the affected seedlings with saaf (2 Gms/litre) of water
Early Blight
Removal & destruction of affected parts & plants, Foliar spray of combination of Metlyxyi M 8% & Mancozeb 64% WP (Unilax)
Late Blight
Avoid planting tomatoes near potato field
TYLCV
The infected plants should be removed & destroyed. Control of white fly population can reduce the incidence. White fly can be controlled with the Foliar Sprays of either lmidagold, Acetamiprid, Spinosad, Theomethaxom, Spirotetramat or Spiromesifen. Use of border/barrier cropping like Maize, Bajra also helps in checking the sucking pest like whitefly.
Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
Foliar sprays of either lmidagold, Lancergold, Spinosad, Theomethaxom
Bacterial Wilt
Crop rotation and use of Streptocycline for drenching the affected areas and Foliar Spray
Fruit Borer
Foliar Spray of insecticides as Fego or Bifenthrin 10% EC or Thiodicarb 75 WP or Spinosad etc can be used to control effectively
Sucking Pests
As given above in diseases for whitefly and Sucking pests
Rot
Avoid excessive application of Nitrogen particularly in Ammonium form. Application of Lime or Calcium based fertilizers (e.g. Calcium Ammonium Nitrate) as basal dose is commonly used to control this physiological disorder. Foliar Spray of Calcium Chloride (3 Gms/Litre of water) also controls this disorder.