Introduction
The cultivated tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L., is the world’s most highly consumed vegetable due to its status as a basic ingredient in a large variety of raw, cooked or processed foods.It belongs to the family Solanaceae, which includes several other commercially important species. Tomato is grown worldwide for local use or as an export crop.
Varieties
Swarna Baibhav, Swarna Sampada, Pusa-120, Pusa Ruby, Pusa Sheetal, Pusa Gaurav, Pusa Uphar, Pusa Hybrid-2, Pusa Hybrid-8, Pusa Divya, Arka Ananya, Arka Vardan, Arka Vishal, Arka Vikas, Arka Abha, Arka Saurabh, Arka Alok, Kashi Vishesh, Kashi Amrit, HS-101, HS-102, Hisar Lalit, Hisar Arun, Pant Bahar, Pant T-3, Pant poly house tomato-1, Pant poly house tomato hybrid-1, Azad T-5, Azad T-6, KTH-2 (Hybrid), KTH-1 (Hybrid), Saaho (TO-3251), Abhinav, Hard Rock (TO-8011), Heemshikhar, Heemsohna, Myla, Rocky, Soberano, TO-017, TO-1057, TO-6242, Trishul, TO-3150, TO-3038, TO-1458, TO-1156, Arka Vishesh (H-391), Arka Apeksha (H-385), Arka Abhed, Arka Rakshak, Arka Samrat, Arka Meghal
Seed rate and spacing
Use a seed rate of 100gm for preparing seedlings for sowing in one-acre land. Depending upon variety use and its growth habit, use a spacing of 60x30cm or 75x60cm or 75x75cm. In Punjab, for dwarf variety use spacing of 75cm x 30cm, and for rainy season use spacing of 120-150 x 30cm.
Soil Requirement
It can be grown in varied type of soil ranging from sandy loam to clay, black soil, and red soil having proper drainage. It gives the best result when grown under well-drained sandy soil with high organic content. For good growth pH of the soil should be 7-8.5. It can tolerate moderate acidic and saline soil. Avoid cultivation in high acidic soils. For early crops, light soil is beneficial whereas for heavy yields clay loam and silt-loam soils are useful.
Nursery Management and Transplanting
Do solarization for one month before sowing. Sow tomato seeds on raised beds of 80-90cm width and of convenient length. After sowing cover the bed with mulch and irrigate the bed with Rose-Can daily in the morning. To protect crops from virus attacks cover the nursery bed with a fine nylon net.
10-15days after transplanting sprayed 19:19:19 along with micronutrients@2.5 to 3gm/Ltr of water. To make plants healthier and stronger and to harden seedlings against transplanting socks take spray of Lihocin@1ml/Ltr water at 20days after sowing. Damping Off damages crops to great extent, to prevent crop from it avoid overcrowding of seedlings and keep soil wet. If wilting is observed, do drenching of Metalaxyl@2.5gm/Ltr water, 2-3 times till plants are ready for transplantation.
Seedling is ready for transplantation 25 to 30days after sowing with 3-4leaves. In case if seedling’s age is more than 30days transplant it after de-toping. Water seedling beds 24hours before transplanting so that seedlings can be easily uprooted and be turgid at transplanting time.
To protect crops from bacterial wilt, dip seedlings in 100ppm Streptocycline solution for 5 minutes before transplanting.
Fertilizer doses
| Nitrogen | Phosphorus | Potash |
| 60 | 25 | 25 |
Diseases of Tomato
Damping off:Pythium aphinidermatum.
Symptoms:The young radical and the plumule are killed and there is complete rotting of the seedlings. The post-emergence phase is characterized by the infection of the young, juvenile tissues of the collar at the ground level.The infected tissues become soft and water soaked. The seedlings topple over or collapse. In the pre-emergence the phase the seedlings are killed just before they reach the soil surface.
Management Practices: Excessive watering and poorly drained areas of field should be avoided.Use raised beds: 15 cm height is better for water drainage or use pro-trays for raising seedlings.
Captan75%WS@20-30 gm/per kg seed. (soil drench).
Fusarium wilt: Fusarium oxysporium f.spp.lycopersici.
Symptoms:The first symptom of the disease is clearing of the veinlets and chlorosis of the leaves. The younger leaves may die in succession and the entire may wilt and die.In young plants, symptom consists of clearing of veinlet and dropping of petioles. In field yellowing of the lower leaves first and affected leaflets wilt and die. The vascular system become brown
Management Practices: Field sanitation.Eradication disease plants.Use Resistant varieties.Remove infected plant tissue to prevent overwintering of the disease.Using clean seeds each year.
Bacterial wilt: Ralstonia solanacearum
Symptoms: The first symptom is wilting of few leaves.Soon thereafter, the entire plant wilt suddenly and dies.Lower leaves may drop before wilting. Pathogen is mostly confined to vascular region; in advantage cases, it may invade the cortex and pith and cause yellow brown discolouration of tissues.
Management Practices: Use seedlings from pathogen free seed beds. Rotate with non-host crops, particularly with paddy.Crop rotations, viz., cowpea-maize-cabbage, okra-cowpea-maize, maize- cowpea-maize and finger millet- brinjal are reported effective in reducing bacterial wilt of tomato. Restriction of irrigation water flowing from affected field to healthy field.
Tomato leaf curl virus: Begomo virus
Symptoms: Leaf curl disease is characterized by severe stunting of the plants with downward rolling and crinkling of the leaves.Olderleavesbecome leathery and brittle.The nodes and internodes are significantly reduced in size.The infected plants look like bushy appearance.The infected plants remain stunted.
Management Practices: Keep yellow sticky traps @ 12/ha to monitor the white fly. Raise barrier crops-cereals around the field. Removal of weed host. Protected nursery in net house or green house
Tomato mosaic virus: Tobamo virus
Symptoms: The first symptom is light and dark green mottling on the leaves wilting of young leaves in sunny days when plants first become infected. The leaflets of affected leaves are usually distorted, puckered and smaller than normal.The affected plant appears stunted, pale green and spindly.
Management Practice : In the nursery all the infected plants should be removed carefully and destroyed. Seedlings infected with the viral disease should not be used for transplanting.Use disease free seed for sowing.The seeds should be thoroughly rinsed and dried in shade.Crop rotation with crops other than tobacco, potato, chilli, capsicum, brinjal, and other solanaceous crops should be undertaken.
Septoria leaf spot :Septoria lycopersici.
Symptoms: Less vigorous plant are usually affected.Small, round to irregular spots with a grey center and dark margin on leaves.Spots usually starts on lower leaves and gradually advance upwards.Spots coalesce and leaves are blighted. Complete defoliation of affected leaves.Stems and flowers are sometimes attacked.Fruits are rarely attacked.
Management Practices : Foliar spray:Fluxapyroxad 250 g/l + Pyraclostrobin 250 g/l SC@200-250 ml/ha in 500 litre water,(80-100 ml/acre in 200 litre of water)
Early blight :Alternaria solani
Symptoms: Early blight is first observed on the plants as small, black lesions mostly on the older foliage The infected leaf has circular lesion and dark, concentric circles are found within thes lesion.Lesions on the stems are similar to those on leaves.Infected leaves eventually die and fall off.An infected tomato fruit has dark, leathery sunken spots and concentric ring also present on fruit.
Management Practices
Foliar spray:Azoxystrobin 23 % SC @ 500 ml/ha in 500 litre water, (200 ml/acre in 200 litre of water). (EL)Captan 50% WP @1250 gm/ha in 750-1000 litre water,(500 gm/ha in 300-400 litre of water).Captan 75% WP @ 1667 gm/ha in 1000 litre water,(666.8 gm/acre in 400 litre water). Copperoxy chloride 50 % WP @ 2500 gm/ha in 750-1000 litre water,(1000 gm/ha in 300-400 litre water). Iprodione 50% WP @ 1500 gm/ha in 500 litre water,(600 gm/acre in 200 litre of water).(E).Kitazin 48% EC @ 200 ml/ha in 200 litre of water. Mancozeb 35% SC @ 500 gm/ha in 100 litre of water. Mancozeb 75% WG @ 1000 gm/ha in 500 litre water,(400 gm/acre in 200 litre of water).Metiram 70% WG @ 2500 gm/ha in 500-750 litre of water.
Bacterial leaf spot : Xanthomonas campestrispv.Vesicatoria.
Symptoms: Foliar lesions are dark, circular, water-soaked, and usually smaller than 3 mm in diameter.They are greasy in appearance on the top surface.The lesions become brown-black and angular in shape.The center of the spots may dry and fall out.Affected leaves may turn yellow and drop off or become dry and remain on the plant.
Management Practices : Use pathogen-free seed or transplants.Grow seedlings in a pathogen-free seedbed.Avoid clipping the seedlings to minimize secondary spread of bacteria.Avoid overhead watering in transplant production.Practice a 2–3 year rotation with non host crops.Remove tomato vines, burn immediately after harvest.them, or chop and bury them immediately after harvest,Control weeds and volunteer tomato plants in affected fields.
Tomato spotted wilt virus :TOSPO virus
Symptoms: Stunting is a common symptom of TSWV infection.Chlorotic or necrotic rings form the leaves of many infected hosts.Thickening of veins and bronzing of young leaves.Growing tips may die-back and terminal branches may be streaked.Pale red or yellow areas with concentric circular marking in the normal red skin of ripe tomato are formed.
Management Practices: The affected plants should be removed and destroyed.Alternate or collateral hosts harboring the virus have to be removed.Raise barrier crops – Sorghum, Maize, Bajra 5-6 rows around the field before planting tomato
Pest of Tomato
White Fly:Bemisia tabaci
Nature of damage: Chlorotic spots on leaves. Yellowing of leaves. Downward curling and drying of leaves. Vector of tomato leaf curl disease.
Management Practices: Foliar spray- Cyantraniliprole10.26% OD @ 900ml/ha in 500 water (360ml/acre in 200 lit. Water) Water (396ml/acre in 200-400 lit. Water) or Imidacloprid 17.8% SL @ 150-175ml/ha in 500 lit. Water (60-70ml/acre in 200 lit. Water) or Malathion 50% EC @ 1500ml/ha in 500-1000 lit. Water (600ml/acre in 200-400 lit. Water) or Oxydemeton Methyl 25% EC @ 1000ml/ha in 500-1000 lit. Water (400ml/acre in 200-400 lit. Water) or Spiromesifen 22.9% SC @ 625ml/ha in 500 lit. Water (250ml/acre in 200 lit. Water) or Thiamethoxam 25% WG @ 200ml/ha in 500 lit.Water (80ml/acre in 200 lit.water) or Thiamethoxam 12.6% + Lambda Cyhalothrin 9.5% ZC @ 125ml/ha in 500 lit. Water (50ml/acre in 200 lit.water). Carbofuran 3% CG @ 40 kg/ha, Phorate 10% CG @ 15kg/ha.
Thrips: Thrips tabaci
Nature of damage: The affected tissue appears as whitish spots or silvery spots or streaks. In severe injury the tissue develop necrotic patches. Affected fruit develop corky or rough surface.
Management Practices: Clean cultivation.Avoid excess use of nitrogenous fertilizers.Avoid overcrowding of plants.
Folir spray- Cyantraniliprole 10.26% OD @ 900ml/ha in 500 lit. Water (360ml/acre in 200 lit. Water) or Thiamethoxam 12.6% + Lambda cyhalothrin 9.5% ZC @ 125ml/ha in500 lit. water (50ml/acre in 200 lit. Water).
Seed treatment- Thimethoxam 70% WS @ 600gm/100 kg seed (6gm/kg seed)
Leaf miner:Liriomyza trifolii
Nature of damage: Leaves with serpentine mines. Drying dropping of leaves in severe cases.
Management Practices: Avoid excess use of nitrogen. Ecological engineering of tomato with beans as intercrop reduces leaf miner attack. Use yellow sticky traps or cards @ 10/acre.
Chemical control : Foliar spray-Cyantraniliprole 10.26% OD @ 900ml/ha in 500 lit. Water (360ml/acre in 200 lit. Water).
Tobacco Caterpillar:Spodoptera litura
Nature of damage: In the early stages, the caterpillars are gregarious and scrape the chlorophyll content of leaf lamina giving it a papery white appearance. Later they become voracious feeders making irregular holes on the leaves. Irregular holes on leaves initially and later skeletonization leaving only veins and petioles. Heavy defoliation.
Management Practices: Foliar spray- Novaluron 5.25% + Indoxacarb 4.5% SC @ 825-875ml/ha in 500 lit. Water (330-350ml/acre in 200 lit. Water).
Tomato Fruit borer: Helicoverpa armigera
Nature of damage: Young larva feeds on the leaves for some time. Internal tissues are eaten severely and completely hollowed out. While feeding the caterpillar thrust its head inside leaving the rest of the body outside fed leaves, shoots, and buds.
Management Practices: Folir Spray- Cyntraniliprole 10.26% OD @ 900ml/ha in 500lit. Water (360ml/acre in 200 lit. water) or Flubendiamide 20% WG @ 100g/ha in 375-500 lit. Water (40g/acre in 150-200 lit. Water) or Flubendiamide 39.35% SC @ 100ml/ha in 375-500 lit. Water (40ml/acre in 150-200 lit. Water) or Indoxacarb 14.5% SC @ 400-500ml/ha in 300-600 lit. Water (160-200ml/acre in 120-200 lit. Water) or Lambda cyhalothrin 4.9% CS @ 300ml/ha in 500 lit. Water (120ml/acre in 200 lit. Water) or Lambda cyhalothrin 5% EC @ 300ml/ha in 400-600 lit. water (120ml/acre in 160-240 lit. Water)
Spider mites: Tetranychus spp.
Nature of damage: Affected leaves become reddish-brown and bronzy. In severe infestation silken webbing on the leaves are present and Leaves wither and dry. Flower and fruit formation affected.
Management Practices: Fenazaquin 10% EC @ 1250ml/ha in 500 lit. Water (500ml/acre in 200 lit.water) or Spiromesifen 22.9% SC @ 625ml/ha in 500 lit. water (250ml/acre in 200 in lit. water).
