Tomato Farming in Sindh, Pakistan.

 

Tomato Farming

Tomato is the world’s biggest vegetable crop and is known because of its special nutritive value. It is an important commercial vegetable crop in Pakistan. It is the second most important crop in the world after potatoes. Fruits are eaten raw or in cooked form. It is a rich source of vitamin A and C, potassium and minerals. It is used in soup, juice and ketchup and powder. Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops cultivated for its plump fruits. Tomato is considered an important commercial and dietary vegetable crop. It is the main vegetable with a high product turnover. Tomato in its fresh and processed form is a major consumable product.

Recently the tomato crop has gained popularity amongst tunnel growers because of good yield and early maturation. Both conventional and hybrid varieties are grown in the field and under the tunnel.

Importance in Diet:

Tomato is a rich source of minerals, vitamins and organic acids, essential amino acids and dietary fibers. Tomato is known as a productive as well as protective food. It is a rich source of vitamin A and C, and it also contains minerals like iron and phosphorus. Tomato contains Lycopene and Beta-carotene pigments.

Soil

Tomato flourishes on all types of land. A fertile sandy loam soil is best suited for an early crop. The loams and clay loams have a greater water-holding capacity and are better suited to persist during the harvesting period.

Varieties

Roma, Moneymaker, Cherry tomato, Beef tomato, Sahl, FM-9, Ana seminis hybrid tomato, Topsin M.

Time of Sowing

Due to varying climatic conditions, there is a wide range of sowing time for tomatoes in Pakistan. Three main crops are as under.

Early Crop

For an early crop, the nursery is sown in July-August, transplanted in the field in August-September and the harvesting of the crop starts in November.

Mid-Season Crop:

Nursery is sown in September, which is transplanted in October and harvested in December/January.

Main Season Crop:

Nursery is sown in mid-November, transplanted in February and the crop is harvested in May-June.

Seed Rate and Nursery Raising:

100-150 g seed is required to prepare the nursery for one acre. Seed is sown in raised beds prepared with farm yard manure, soil and sand with a ratio of 1:1:1 and covered with a thin polyethene sheet. The seeds will germinate in 7-14 days. Remove the polyethene sheet after seed germination.

Transplanting:

The seedlings should be harvested to survive in outdoor conditions. The hardening may be accomplished by lessening the water supply. The process may require 7 to 10 days. The seedlings are transplanted on both sides of 1.5-meter-wide beds with a distance of 50 cm on the rows.

Irrigation:

The plants are irrigated just after transplanting. Irrigation with an interval of 7-8 days is suggested. The irrigation interval can be decreased from 5-6 days when the weather is too hot. Irrigation water should be given with care so that beds should not be submerged in water.

Manure and Fertilizers:

In tomato crop, high yield can be attained only if well-balanced fertilizers and manure are supplied to the plants in time. Rotten farm yard manure should be used at the rate of 10-15 tones per acre, at the time of land preparation for maintaining proper physical conditions and fertility of the soil. A general recommendation for chemical fertilizers is 75 kg of nitrogen, 60 kg of phosphorus and 60 kg of potassium. Half amount of all fertilizers and the full amount of farm yard manure are incorporated into the soil at the time of land preparation. The remaining half amount of the fertilizers is split into two doses and applied as a side dressing to the plants one month after transplanting and after the first picking of fruit.

Harvesting:

The stage at which the tomatoes are harvested depends upon the purpose for which they are grown. For canning and processing, the fruit is harvested when it is fully ripened on the vines. For local markets, it is harvested in the hard ripe and pink stages. For the distant markets, the fruit is picked in the mature green or turning pink stage. For home use, tomatoes may be left on the plants until they are fully coloured.

Storage:

Tomatoes can be kept for storage for only a short period of 5-10 days. Fruits picked at the semi-ripe point and placed in a well-ventilated store with low humidity and at 1-2°C will remain fit for human consumption for about three weeks.

Tomato Diseases:

Fusarium wilt:

It is caused by the fungus Fusarium exosporium lycopercici. It is characterized by the yellowing and drying of the leaves gradually from the base upward, and by discolouration of the vascular tissue. It is controlled by the use of disease-resistant cultivars and disease-free seeds. The planting should be done on disease-free beds. The crop rotation should be followed and diseased plants should be disposed of.

Bacterial wilt:

It is caused by Pseudomonas solanacearum. The diseased plants wilt during the day and partially recover at night. Freshly cut stems exude a gummy, yellow mass of bacteria. It can be controlled by planting disease-free plants, removal of diseased plants and following crop rotation.

Early blight:

Alternaria solani, the fungus that causes early blight in potatoes. To control it, sow only treated seed from disease-free plants, practice sanitation by deep ploughing and follow crop rotation.

Damping off:

It attacks nursery seedlings at the surface of the soil, causing the stems to shrivel and the plants to topple over. Treat the seed with thiram and avoid over-irrigation.

Viral diseases:

The significant viral diseases of tomatoes are the tobacco mosaic virus and the cucumber mosaic virus. The diseases are highly infectious and spread by insects and cultural operations. Sanitation and control of vectors can reduce the spread of viruses.

Yield

Generally, there will be 7-11 harvests in a crop life span. The yield per hectare varies greatly according to variety and season. On average, the yield varies from 10-12 t/acre. Hybrid varieties may yield up to 25-30 t/acre.