Cultivation Practice of Tomato , Insect pest and Disease of Tomato.

  

Cultivation Practice of Tomato / Disease of Tomato.

Scientific Name of Tomato is Solanum lycopersicum is one most important vegetables in the world ranking second in Importance to Potato. It contain ascorpic acid (vitamin c) Hence, it is also known as poor man's orange. Other vegetables can be skip in kitchen but tomato cannot be skipped without tomatoes kitchen cannot be completed. Tomatoes are used directly as raw vegetables in sandwiches, Pizza, Burger salad and Several processed items like paste, puree, syrup, juice , ketchup, soup.
 

It is annual herb of 0.2 to 2m height Erect or spreading with thick solid stem sometime stem is characterized with hairy structure. It has strong tap root and self pollination crop.

Center of origin - Maxico

• climate Requirements.

It is warm season crop. The optimum temperature is 20°c for night and 30°c For day. The best tomato are obtained during warm and sunny temperature range. It will start dropping off  and pollen becomes steriline after a tempo or 30°c. Tomato is susceptible to cold winds and Frost.

Soil and Field preparation.

Tomato can grown almost all type of soil. It is good at soil with moisture holding capacity soil pH ranges from 6 to 7 is ideal. The soil should be ploughed thoroughly to brought fine tilth. Generally 4-5 ploughing are needed to make soil friable followed by planking.

manure and fertilizers

The entire quantity of FYM or compost (250 g/ha) is incorporated at the time of 1st ploughing
25kg of phorate per hectare is applied. Generally 1 metric ton FYM or compost is recommend for hectare of land, NPK should be applied at the ratio of 170: 150:120 for Hybrids variety and 120: 80:50 for Local variety. The full amount of  compost and  and half amount of nitrogen and full amount of P2O5 and k2O are applied during field preparation. The remaining, nitrogen should be applied in 2 split doses. It is side dressed after 1 Month and 2 month of transplanting.

Nursery management

• The sandy loam and loam soil rich in organic matter are suitable for raising the nursery.
• In soil with good tilth 15 cm raised nursery beds of 3m length and 1m wide are prepared.
• 15 kg  well rotten FYM and 300g of NPK (15:15:15) complex Fertilizer along with 5-6g Furadan per bed is incorporated.
• The beds are drenched with Captan (2g/liter)  or copper oxychloride ( 4g/ liter)
• seeds are sown thinly in rows 6cm apart and 0.5cm deeps.

Normally 400-500 seed / hectare is Sufficient for the spring crop and 1.0-1.2 kg for a summer crop. Since mortality of seedlings is high incase of hybrids 150-200 g seed is sufficient for one hectare area.

Sowing Time

Grown almost throughout year the number of crop grown varies From region to region
1)Northern plains /sowing / Transplanting.
2)Autumn crop  / July - August / August - September.

3)spring summer crop / November /second Fortnight of January.
4)Hilly region / march - April / April-may.

Transplanting

when seedling attain the height of  5-6 true leaves they are ready to transplant in prepared field.

•Normally transplanting is done in the evening hours.
•The field should be irrigated immediately after transplanting and then frequent light irrigation are made until the establishment of seedling.
1) Determinate varieties 60x30, 60X45
           Determinate hybrids 75×30 75x45
2) Indeterminate varieties 75x30, 75x45
   Indeterminate hybrids 90 x 30 or 120x 30 cm
The space can be increased or decreased as per fertility status of the soil and favorability or environment, growing season.

   Irrigations

• Require frequent irrigation.
• Excess irrigation lead to more vegetative growth and less fruiting
• water deficiency lead to reduction in fruit setting and overall size of fruit.
• Generally the Furrow method of irrigation is practiced and seldom sprinkler
or drip method  is preferred when water is saline.
• The irrigation are made according to soil conditions mostly irrigation are made at 8-10 days interval.
• 1st irrigation are applied soon after Transplanting.

varieties

Pusa Ruby - suitable for processing.
Pusa Early dwarf - Determinate type.

Roma : Released from IARI Determinate growth Good foliage cover. It is very early maturing
variety with elliptical fruit suitable for mid Hills and high hills.

Monprecous :  Indeterminate type
fruit is round ,shining surface,
red uniform maturity heavy yielder. Tolerant to late blight disease. It is slightly acidic in taste.

other varieties are

Haryana selection 102, punjab Kesari Arka meghali , Solan Gola, kashi Amrit. Kashi Aman, Kashi Anupam.

Harvesting and yield

The time or harvest depends upon the purpose and distance from the market. Tomato can be harvested
1) Green stage ÷ Full mature green fruit harvested to get more price.
2) Breaker or turning stage ÷ fruit are harvested when 1/4  blossom end of the Fruit show pink color (long distance).

3) pink stage: when 30-60% fruit surface turn to pink or red. These fruit can be used to sale in the
local market as well as to send distant markets.
4) light red sage ÷ Suitable for table or salad purpose and to sale at farmer's field.
5) Red stage ÷ when fruit attain maximum red color  and become soft such fruit are suitable
for processing purpose.

The yield is depends on many factors like soil, variety, season and management.

Average Pure line yields 300-350 Quintals per hectare.
Hybrids varieties yields average 500-600 Quintals per hectare.

physiological disorders \ production constrains

- Blossom end rot

common and destructive type of disorder. Brown colored lesion appear at the  blossom end while the fruits are green. This disorder result in the sunken, leathery and dark color development on the affected part of the fruit.

Causes

-High moisture and temperature.
-Application or nitrogen in abundant Quantity.

- Deficiency of calcium

Control

• Give light irrigation.
• Recommended quantity of nitrogen.
• spray calcium chloride (0.5%) fruit development.
• Grow resistance varieties.

2) Fruit cracking

• mature green and ripe fruits cracks of the stem end. It is observed during rainy season.
a) Radial cracking ÷ cocking starts from the stem end and develop in ripe fruits
b) concentric cracking÷ Appears around the shoulder of the green fruit.

Causes

•long dry spell during rainy season.
•moisture stress conditions.
•sudden fluctuation in day and night temperature.
•Expose fruit to sun light.
•Boron Deficiency in soil.

control

•maintain soil moisture optimum
• Avoid pruning and staking of plant during Summer.
• Resistance varieties like Sioux, Pusa Ruby,  Roma.
• Spray boron 0.3 to 0.4% two to three times and harvest the fruit before they ripe.

3) puffiness

The affected fruits are light in weight, lack of firmness and partially filled. Disorder is more common in
winter season.

Common cause

• lack of fertilization.
• Abortion of embryo after Fertilization.
• Necrosis of vascular and placental tissue of fruits.
•High temperature and moisture stress
• High does of nitrogen.

control

• Avoid over- watering.
• Grow resistance varieties.
• Apply recommended does of nitrogen.

4) Cat Face

The affected fruit are characterized by the distortion of the blossom end rot and development or ridges.
furrows indentations and blotches. unfavorable climatic conditions during flowering cause distortion of growth of the pistil cells.

control

•Grow varieties free from cat Face
• cultivate the tomato in normal growing Season.

5)Sun scald

The fruit exposed to intense sunlight develop yellow or brown burnt patches.

Protection  from Sun Scald.

•Grow varieties having abundant foliage.
•Raise crop with high density.
• while picking of fruit avoid the turning of plants.
•Avoid training and pruning of plants during summer months.

6) Unfruitfulness

" Day temperature above 32°c and night above 20°c and below 13°c
adversely affect the fruit setting of tomato''.

Insect-pest and disease

1) Fruit borer

larva feed on flowers, flower buds and young , tender Fruits. They cut circular holes through the sepals and petals and reach the ovary and feed on its content which resulting in wither and fall off.

control

• Spray Dimethoate 30 EC (1.5.2 milliliter / liter) at 10 days interval starting from flowering stage.
• Grow tall varieties of marigold to attract insect.
• Grow Pusa Red plum variety.

2) Jassid ( suck the cell sap from the tender parts of plant).

3)Hadda beetle (Feed on the epidermis of leaves)

4) Tobacco Caterpillar ( Feed tender leaves, shoots and fruit during night hours).

control

- plough the field to kill pupae of white fly.

5) Root knot nematode.

Affected plants remain stunted and weak foliage turn yellow and wilt, knot like swelling can be seen
on roots.

Diseases of Tomato.

1)Damping Off ÷

causal organism - Pythium apanidermatum

Symptoms ÷

- Damping off of tomato occur in two stages,
~ pre-emergence and
 ~ post emergence phase.
- In pre-emergence the phase the seedling, are killed just before they reach the soil surface. 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 tissue of the collar at the ground level.
- The infected tissues become soft and water.
- The seedling topple over or collapse .

mode of spread and survival.

- All the causal organism are soil inhabitants and they build up in soil with the available host.
Generally these pathogens have wide host range like
•Oospores or sporangia in soil or roots or stems.
•Rotten seeds and seedling roots and stem lesion pinched stems near ground.
•Green house field vegetable, fruit crops true seedling.

Management

• Used raised seed bed, provide light but Frequent irrigation for better drainage.
• Drench with copper oxychloride 0.2% or Bordeaux mixture 1 %.
• seed treatment with fungal culture. Trichoderma viride (4kg of seed) or Thiram (3 Kg Of seeds) is the only

preventive measure to control the pre-emergence damping off

• spray 0.2% Metalaxyl when there is cloudy weather.

2)Alternaria solani

Symptoms

- This is a common disease of tomato occurring on the foliage at any stage of growth.
-The fungus attacks the foliage causing characteristics leaf  spots and blight.
- Early blight is 1st observed on the plant as small black lesions mostly on the older foliage. Spots enlarge and by the time they dye one-Fourth Inch in diameter or larger, concentric rings in a bull's eye pattern can be seen in the center of the diseased area.
- Tissue surrounding the spots may turn yellow.
- If high temperature and humidity occur at this time , much of the foliage is killed. lesions on the stems are similar to those on leaves sometimes girdling the plant if they occur near the soil line. Transplants showing infections by the late blight fungus often die when set in the field.
- The fungus also infect the fruit, generally through the calyx or stem attachment.
- lesions attain considerable size, usually involving nearly the entire Fruit, concentric rings are present on fruit.

pathogen

-Mycelium is Septate, branched, light brown which becomes darker with age.
- conidiophores are dark colored.
-conidia are beaked, muriform dark colored and borne singly.

mode of spread and survival

-The pathogen is spread by wind and rain splashing.
- Under dry conditions it survives in infected plant.
-debris in the soil for up to three years and is also seed borne.

management

- Removal and destruction of crop debris
- practicing cop rotation helps to minimize the disease incidence.
- spray the crop with mancozeb 0.2% for effective disease control.

3)Late blight of Tomato.

causal organism-  Phytophthora infestans
as the name is late blight than according to name it came later stage in the growing season with symptoms often not appearing until after blossom
- The spores are introduced by infected tubers transplant and seeds.
- wind also carry the disease from near by gardens and crops.
- warm temperatures (70-80°F) and wet humid.
condition promotes it's rapid growth and indicated as favorable to Growth and reproductions.

symptoms

-Dark water soaked patches develop on the leaves and stem.
-The disease also affects the fruit.
- late blight 1st appear on the lower leaves, older leaves  as water-soaked, gray - green spots
-As the disease mature then spots darken and a white fungal growth forms on the underside.
- Eventually the entire plant will become infected and crop can be severally damaged.

management

- plant resistant cultivars when available.
- manage proper spacing to maintain Air circulation.
- water in the early morning hours or use soaker hoses to give plant time to dry out during the day. 

- avoid overhead irrigation.
- Destroy all tomato and potato debris after harvest.
- seed treatment with captan or thiram @ 2kg/ kg seed.
- spray any of the fungicide i.e Dithane M-45 (0.2%) or Bavistin (0.1%).

4) Bacterial Wilt

Causal Organism - Pseudomonas solanacearum
Bacterial wilt or southern bacterial blight is a serious disease. The bacteria survives in the soil for extended periods and enters the root through wounds made by transplanting Cultivation or insect and through natural wounds! where secondary root emerge.
- Disease development is favored by high temperature and high moisture. The bacteria multiply rapidly inside the water conducting tissue, filling it with slime This result in a rapid wilt of the plant, while leaf stay green.

Symptoms

- willing of lower leaves Followed by sudden and permanent wilting of entire plant are the typical symptoms. The vascular tissue of lower stem and root exude slimy bacterial ooze.

control

-  adopt 3 year crop rotation with non- solanaceous crops
- Raised nursery, in disease fee area.
-Uproot infected plants and burn them.
-use resistance vareities like Arka shresta, Arka Abhijit, BWR-1 ,Arka, Alok,  Arka vardan etc.
- fumigate the soil by drenching formalin (7% before sowing to a depth 10-15 cm)
-spray streptocycline (0.25%) at 10 days intervals.

5)Tomato Root Rot.

Tomato root rot occurs when the roots of a tomato plant are constantly wet.
some plant like that, some dislike it, but tomato cannot stand it, 'Also area where it is hot and humid (like florida) have a problems with tomato root rot.

prevention

soil - Tomato are heavy Feeders and love light soil with good drainage and lots of compost.
- Tomato like a soil  pH level of 6.0-6.5 (to lower the pH use coffee grounds , tea
bags, compost or composted manure and to raise pH use wood ash from your fire place or crushed egg shells)

control

- Remove the infected plant immediately
- Do not plant the new seedling in the same spot right away , the soil is also infected.
- Disinfect your Tools and pots.

6) Viral disease of Tomato.

1) LEAF CURL.

The characteristics symptoms are curling of leaf and crowding together stunted growth
of plants.
- Infected leaves turn pale and infected plant produce more stunted lateral branches resulting in a bushy growth. Incidence is favored by high temperature and low humidity and disease is transmitted by white fly (Bemisia tobaci).

control
- Rogue out infected plants.
-  uproot the weeds.
- Raise nursery in disease free area.
- Treat the nursery beds before sowing with Furadan @ 1kg / hactare.
- plant  border crop like Jawar, bajra or maize about 2 months before transplanting.
- mulching with yellow polythene sheet
-restrict the movement of white fly using pheromone Traps.

2)Mosaic

-  caused by tobacco mosaic virus (Tmv)
-  mottling of leaves and formation or dark green patches on the leaves are the characteristics symptoms - The growth of infected plants is stunted and bears very few fruit. The virus is Sap transmitted and also seed borne.

management

- Follow clean cultivation
- select virus free seeds.
-follow crop rotation excluding potato, Eggplant, tobacco and chili.
-  Give hot water treatment at 50°c for 30 minutes to the seed.

3)spotted wilt

- The characteristics symptoms of the disease are sudden browning of leaves followed by cessation of Growth.
- Numerous spots with concentric marking appear on the infected Fruits. Thripe are
vector to transmit the virus.

controls
-Grow resistance variety.
- Rogue out and burn the affected plants.
-spray Imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 0.5-0.6 milliliter per liter of water to control the vectors of spotted wilt.