Tomato

Season and Field preparation

Soil

Well drained loamy soils rich in organic matter with a pH range of 6.5-7.5.

Season of sowing

May - June and November – December

Field preparation

Plough the land to fine tilth. Thoroughly prepare the field with the addition of FYM @ 25 t/ ha and form ridges and furrows at a spacing of 60 cm. Apply 2 kg/ha of Azospirillum and 2 kg/ha of Phosphobacteria by mixing with 50 kg of FYM. Irrigate the furrows and transplant 25 days old seedlings on the sides of ridges. Life irrigation to be given on 3rd day of planting.

Nursery bed preparation

Apply FYM 10 kg, Neem cake 1 kg, VAM 50 g, enriched Superphosphate 100 g and Furadon 10 g per square meter before sowing.

Tomato growing soil

Main field preparation

Seed and Nursery production

Seed rate

Varieties : 300-350 g / ha

Hybrids : 100-150 g / ha

Seed treatment

Treat the seeds with Trichoderma viride 4 g or Pseudomonas fluorescens 10 g or Carbendazim 2 g per kg of seeds 24 hours before sowing. Just before sowing, treat the seeds with Azospirillum @ 40 g / 400 g of seeds. Sow in lines at 10 cm apart in raised nursery beds and cover with sand.

Protected nursery

Prepare the nursery area of 3 cents with slanting slope of 2 % for the seedling production to cover 1 ha

Cover the nursery area with 50 % shade net and cover the sides using 40/50 mesh insect proof nylon net.

Form raised beds of 1 m width and convenient length and place HDPV pipes at 2m interval for further protection with polythene sheets during rainy months.

Mix sterilized cocopeat @ 300 kg with 5 kg neem cake along with Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria each @ 1 kg. Approximately 1.2 kg of cocopeat is required for filling one protray. 238 protrays (98 cells) are required for the production of 23,334 seedlings, which are required for one hectare adopting a spacing of 90 x 60 x 60 cm in paired row system

Sow the treated seed in protrays @ one seed per cell.

Cover the seed with cocopeat and keep the trays one above the other and cover with a polythene sheet till germination starts

After six days, place the protrays with germinated seeds individually on the raised beds inside the shade net

Water with rosecan everyday and drench with NPK 19:19:19 @ 0.5% (5g/l) at 18 days after sowing

Tomato Seed

Tomato protray nursery

Cultural practices

Spacing for varieties

PKM 1, Paiyur 1, COTH 2, TNAU Tomato Hybrid CO 3 : 60 x 45 cm

CO 3 : 45 x 30 cm

Mulching

Mulch with black LDPE sheets of 25 micron thickness and bury both the ends into the soil to a depth of 10 cm

Weed control

Apply Pendimethalin 1.0 kg a.i./ha or Fluchloralin 1.0 kg a.i / ha as pre-emergence herbicide, followed by hand weeding once at 30 days after planting

Growth regulators

Spray 1.25 ppm (625 ml in 500 litres of water) Triacontanol at 15 days after transplanting and at full bloom stage to increase the yield.

Training of hybrids

Stake the plants 30 days after planting with 1 - 1.5 m tall stakes.

Remove the side branches up to 20 cm from ground level.

Micronutrient spray

Foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.5 per cent thrice at 10 days interval from 40 days after planting.

Spray 19:19:19 + Mn @ 1 % at 60 days after planting.

Spacing of Tomato

Irrigation and Manuring

Irrigation

After establishment of seedlings, irrigate at weekly intervals.

Manuring

Varieties

Basal dose : FYM 25 t/ha, NPK 75:100:50 kg / ha

Borax 10 kg and Zinc sulphate 50 kg / ha

Top dressing : 75 kg N/ha on 30th day of planting or during earthing up.

Hybrids

Basal dose : FYM 25 t/ha, NPK 50:250:100 kg/ha

Borax 10 kg and Zinc sulphate 50 kg/ha

Top dressing : N and K each 150 kg/ha in 3 equal splits at 30, 45 and 60 days after planting.

Layout and planting for drip irrigation & fertigation

Apply FYM @ 25 t / ha as basal before last ploughing.

Apply 2 kg/ha of Azospirillum and 2 kg/ha Phosphobacteria by mixing with 50 kg of FYM.

Apply 75 % total recommended dose of superphosphate ie 1172 kg / ha as basal

Install the drip irrigation with main and sub main pipes and place lateral tubes at an interval of 1.5 m.

Place the drippers in lateral tubes at an interval of 60 cm and 50 cm spacing with 4 LPH and 3.5 LPH capacities respectively.

Form raised beds of 120 cm width at an interval of 30 cm and place the laterals at the centre of each bed.

Before planting, wet the beds using drip system for 8-12 hrs.

Planting to be done at a spacing of 90 x 60 x 60 cm in the paired row system, using ropes marked at 60 cm spacing

Gap filling has to be done at 7th day after transplanting.

Surface irrigation in tomato field

Drip irrigated Tomato

Fertigation

Fertigation schedule for tomato hybrids

Recommended dose: 200:250: 250 kg / ha

Stage	Crop stage	Duration in days	Fertilizer grade	Total Fertilizer (kg/ha)	Nutrient applied			% of requirement
					N	P	K	N	P	K
1	Transplanting to plant establishment stage	10	19:19:19 13:0:45 Urea (46%N)	65.78 27.77 8.44	12.50 3.61 3.88	12.50 - -	12.50 12.50 -	10.00	5.00	10.00
					19.99	12.50	25.00
2	Flower initiation to flowering	30	12:61:0 13:0:45 Urea (46%N)	40.98 222.22 100.27	4.92 28.89 46.12	25.00 - -	- 100.00 -	40.00	10.00	40.00
					79.93	25.00	100.00
3	Flowering to fruit set	30	19:19:19 13.0:45 Urea (46%N)	65.78 138.88 63.90	12.50 18.05 29.39	12.50 - -	12.50 62.50 -	30.00	5.00	30.00
					59.94	12.50	75.00
4	Alternate day from picking	80	12:61:0 13:0:45 Urea (46%N)	20.49 111.11 50.14	2.46 14.44 23.06	12.50 - -	- 50.00 -	20.00	5.00	5.00
					39.96	12.50	50.00
					199.82 or 200.00	62.50	250.00	100	25	100

75% of RD of P applied as superphosphate as basal application= 1172 kg/ha

1. 19:19:19 = 132 kg / ha

2. 12:61:0 = 62 kg / ha

3. 13:0:45 = 500 kg / ha

4. Urea = 223 kg / ha

Protected cultivation and yield

Production practices for cultivation of tomato under shade net

During summer, the hybrid tomato can be grown in a shade level of 35 per cent under paired row planting system (80 x 40 x 60 cm - between pairs, rows and plants) with a basal application of 50 kg each of N and K and 250 kg of P / ha and fertigation of 200 kg each of N and K through straight fertilizers.

Protected cultivation of tomato in polyhouse

During rainy season, the indeterminate tomato hybrid has to be grown in the medium consisting of FYM : composted coir pith: sand (2:1:1) with irrigation regime of 20kPa and basal application of 50kg each of NPK/ha as straight fertilizers and 250 kg each of NPK as water soluble and straight fertilizers through fertigation along with black polyethylene mulch (50 microns).

Duration

110- 115 days from transplanting (135 - 140 days from sowing)

Yield

Varieties : 30 - 40 t / ha

Hybrids : 80 - 95 t / ha

Boom flower - N spray at 2ml / litre in three sprays – 30 days, 55 days and 75 days after planting increase the yield.

Tomato grown in polyhouse

Tomato at harvest stage