TOMATO

SEASON
The crop requires a warm growing season with abundant sunshine and adequate
moisture. It is a warm season vegetable but is extensively grown in cooler regions as well.
The plant, however, cannot stand severe frost. It can be grown at temperatures ranging
between 15–27 oC. It performs well under an average monthly temperature of 21–23o C. It
can be cultivated under irrigated conditions in arid tropics, but under very high
temperatures the quality of fruits is poor and there is a high incidence of sunscald.
High humidity and high temperature makes the plant susceptible to foliage diseases.
Excessive rain causes flower drop and adversely affects fruit set. For proper pigmentation
of fruits, warm sunny days with moderately cool nights are preferable.
In India,the crop can be grown throughout the year. In the northern plains,the crop can
be cultivated during autumn and spring as well as summer. In south India, there are
three growing seasons: June–July, October– November and January–February.

The crop can be grown under varied soils ranging from sandy loam to clay, black soil
or red soil having good drainage. However, sandy loam rich in organic matter with a
little sand in the upper layer and good clay content in the subsoil and a fairly good
capacity to hold moisture is best suited for the crop. A pH between 6 and 8.5 is
ideal. The crop can tolerate moderate acidity and salinity.
SEED VARIETIES
Select depending up on local conditions and adoptability

SEED QUANTITY AND TREATMENT

Seed Rate - The seed rate for commercial tomato varieties is around 200 to 250
gm/acre.

Seed Treatment - The seeds can be mixed with Trichoderma viride and
(@ 5 gm/100 gm of seeds). This will help in the control of early blight and other
pathogens or go for Beejamrutham if the above material are not available
NURSERY MANAGEMENT
Seeds are sown in well-prepared, raised nursery beds. For raising seedlings for one hectare
about six cents of nursery area is required. Raised beds of dimensions 7.5x1.2 x0.1m
are prepared. They are covered with a layer of farm yard manure and sand in equal
proportion. Addition of farmyard manure should be @ 4 kg/m2. During the summer
and rainy season there may be heavy incidence of damping off. Field solarisation and
seed treatment are helpful in minimising disease infection. Neem cake and groundnut cake
(@ 2 kg/cent) can also be added to enrich nursery soil.

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 The soil can be disinfected further by cultivating it well and then covering it with
a clear plastic sheet so that it gets heated up thoroughly under the mid-day sun.
This technique can be used for varieties that are highly susceptible to disease. Soil
solarisation of nursery plots by covering them with mulch.

MAIN FIELD PREPARATION

A well prepared seed bed with 4–5 ploughings is necessary for transplanting tomato.
The seedlings are transplanted on flat beds, on the sides of raised beds or ridges. The latter
is preferred since it prevents the fruits appearing on the lower branches from making
direct contact with the soil.
TRANSPLANTATION – PLANT DENSITY AND POPULATION
Transplanting can be done on small flat beds in light soils where irrigation is available and
on shoulders in shallow furrows where irrigation water is scanty. On heavy soils, the
seedlings are normally transplanted on ridges. The seedlings are transplanted in rows 60–
75 cm apart. The planting distance within a row is 30 cm for determinate varieties and
60 cm for indeterminate varieties. For hybrids, the distance can be increased, based on types. It
was reported from certain trials that planting in a double row system (30 cm x 30 cm x 1m)
on raised beds can generate high yields with healthy fruits. Raised bed methods need less
water and the incidence of pests and disease is also low. For mechanical harvesting and for
varieties suited for processing, a closer spacing should be adopted. For hybrids, the row
spacing should be wide whereas a close spacing should be adopted between plants.
Spacing differs for varieties and hybrids. It ranges between 60–120 cm between rows
and 30 to 60 cm between plants.

Direct Sowing - The tomato is also cultivated by direct seeding. This results in early
flowering, early fruiting and less incidence of pest and disease. Close spacing in direct
seeding has the advantage of higher yields as well. Seeding of 3–5 seeds in a clump at 25–
30 cm ensures 2–3 plants per clump. After the plants have established, thinning should
be done to maintain only 1–2 seedlings per hill.

SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT

 The soil can be treated with Azatobacter or Azospirillum @1-1.25

 NADEP compost 2.5 Tons( if available ) 400 kgs of Ghanajeevamrutham
120 kg of Neem cake can be added per acre.
 1st apply 200 liters of Dhravajeevamrutham 10days after
transplantation
 2nd apply 200 liters of Dhravajeevamrutham 20 days after transplantation
 Reap same procedure at every 10 days interval
 Spray Panchagavya at the time of flowering and continue at every 15 days interval.

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 PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

GRAM POD BORER: HELICOVERPA ARMIGERA

The larvae are extremely polyphagous and feed on different plant structures including stems,
leaves, flower heads and fruits. The high reproductive potential and mobility of the adult
mothsarefurtherchallengesforthecontrolof this pest.

Control Measures
 Field sanitation and rouging
 Growing inter crops such as cowpea, onion, maize, coriander, urd bean in 5 or 4:1 ratio
 Raise Maize 4 lines as border crop
 Erecting of bird perches (15 per acre) for encouraging predatory birds such as king crow, mynah, and
drongo etc.
 Install pheromone traps @ 5/acre for monitoring adult moths activity. Replace the lures with fresh lures
after every 2-3 weeks
 marigold @ 200 plants (marigold seedling of 45 days should be planted along with chilli
transplanting)
 Release of egg parasitoid Trichogramma pretiosum @ 50,000 adults (in the form of parasitized
card) /acre /week commenced right from the start of flower initiation to till end of the crop, tie the egg
cards on the stick placed throughout the field at 4-5 m apart, in the evening, a day prior to the
emergence of adult.
 First spray 5% neem seed kernel extract, after 7 days spray Brahmastram (3.5 liters extract in 100
liters of water)
 Spray HNPV ( 200 LE) in 100 liters of water per acre

TOBACCO CATERPILLAR: SPODOPTERA LITURA FABRICIUS

Symptoms
Young larva scrap leaves on ventral surface
Grownups defoliate crops

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Control Measures
 Field sanitation and roguing
 Castor can be grown as a trap crop along the field border to attract the egg laying female adult moths
(collect and destroy the laid egg masses and gregarious neonates)
 Raise maize or jowar as a border crop
 Setting up light traps for collecting adults @ 1/acre
 Erecting of bird perches (15) for encouraging predatory birds such as king crow, mynah etc.
 Install pheromone traps@5/acre for monitoring adult moth activity. Replace the lures with fresh lures
after every 2-3 weeks
 Spray NSKE 5 % against eggs and first instar larva.
 Dip gunny bags into jaggery solution and torn into small pieces and keep them in field in the
evening all caterpillars will be attracted there and kill them in the morning.
 Spray garlic chilli extract in the evening.
 Spray SNPV (200 LE) in 100 liters of water per acre

WHITEFLY: BEMISIA TABACI (LEAF CURL)

Affected plants show numerous chlorotic spots on leaves/ yellowing and sometimes, sooty mould. Yellowing along veins,
leaf curling, mosaics, etc. on affected plants probably indicate whitefly-transmitted viral diseases. Damage may be more severe when
plants are under water stress.
ControlMeasures
Cultivation of most preferred alternate host crops like brinjal, bhendi, tomato, tobacco and sunflower may be avoided.
• Adopting crop rotation with non-preferred hosts of white fly such as Sorghum, Ragi , Maize to check
pest build up.
• Install 15 yellow sticky traps per acre
• Nirgundi leaf extract followed by neem seed kernel extract.

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 SERPENTINE LEAF MINER

Larvae mine in the mesophyll of leaves and make irregular, papery mines.The larvae also mine apical buds and stems.
In cases of heavy infestation,both green and red fruits are attacked and infested fruits show small holes

on the surface and the larvae tunnel/mine below the surface. Pupation takes place in soil or on plant parts such
as leaves and stem. Adult moths are silvery brown with mottled wings.
Control Measures:
• Avoid excess use of nitrogen.
• Ecological engineering of tomato with beans as inter crop reduces leaf miner attack.
• garlic chilli extract

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 RED SPIDER MITE: TETRANYCHUS

Symptoms of damage:
• Affected leaves become reddish brown and bronzy
• Severe infestation larvae silken webbing on
the leaves, wither and dry Redspider
• Flower and fruit formation affected
mite
Control Measures
• dung urine and hing extract

Fruit damage
DAMPING OFF: PYTHIUM APHANIDERMATUM

Symptoms

• The disease is caused by a fungus which is common in wet soils and

may survive for several seasons. Overcrowding, poor drainage, compacted soil
and inadequate air flow increase the chances of seedlings getting
infected.
• Damping off of tomato occurs in two stages, i.e. the pre-emergence
and the post-emergence phase.
• In the pre-emergence the phase the seedlings are killed just before they reach
the soil surface.
• Theyoung radical andthe plumule arekilled and there is completerotting 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.

Control Measures:
• Excessive watering and poorly drained areas of field should be avoided
• Use raised beds:15cm height is better for water drainage or use
pro-trays for raising seedlings
• Seed treatment with Trichoderma viride 1 % WP @ 9 g/Kg of seed.

Wilted plants due to

attack of damping-off
disease.

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 TOMATO LEAF CURL DISEASE: TOMATO LEAF CURL VIRUS
Symptom

• The new growth of plants with tomato yellow

leaf curl has reduced inter nodes, giving the plant a
stunted appearance
• The new leaves are also greatly reduced in size and
wrinkled, are yellowed between the veins, and have
margins that curl upward, giving them a cup- like
appearance
• Flowers may appear but usually will drop before fruit is set
Control Measures:
• Spray (NSKE) 5% or azadirachtin 5% W/W neem extract concentrate @ 80g
in160 l of water/ac
• spray neem leaf+nirgundi leaf extract

BACTERIAL WILT: RALSTONIA SOLANACEARUM

Symptom
• This is one of the most serious diseases of
tomato crop. Relatively high soil moisture and
soil temperature favour disease development.
• Characteristic symptoms of bacterial wilt are the
rapid and complete wilting of normal grown up
plants.
• 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.
• Infected plant parts when cut and immersed in clear water, a white streak of bacterial
ooze is seen coming out from cut ends.
• The spreads through wounds, soil and implements.
Control Measures:
• Rotate with non-host crops, particularly with paddy
• Restriction of irrigation water flowing from
affected field to healthy field
• neem seed kernel extract

FUSARIUM WILT: FUSARIUM OXYSPORUM

Symptom
• The first symptom of the disease is clearing of
the veinlets and chlorosis of the leaves.

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• The younger leaves may die in succession and the entire may wilt and
die in a courseoffewdays. Soon the petiole and the leaves droop
and wilt.
• 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 symptoms continue in subsequent leaves. At later stage,
browning of vascular system occurs. Plants become stunted and
die.

Control Measures
 Mix 2 kg of Trichoderma viridi in 200 liters of water and spray or
pour at the base of the plant.
Root zone application: Mix thoroughly 2.5 Kg of the T. viride 1% WP

BACTERIAL FRUITS AND LEAF SPOTS: XANTHOMONAS CAMPESTRIS

Symptom

 Moist weather and splattering rains are conducive to

disease development. Most outbreaks of the disease can be
traced back to heavy rainstorms that occur in the area.
 Infected leaves show small, brown, water soaked,
circular spots surrounded with yellowish halo.
 On older plants the leaflet infection is mostly on older
leaves and may cause serious defoliation.
 The most striking symptoms are on the green fruit.
Small,water- soaked spots first appear which later
become raised and enlarge until they are one-eighth to
one-fourth inch in diameter.
 Centers of these lesions become irregular, light
brown and slightly sunken with a rough,
scabby surface.
 Ripe fruits are not susceptible to the disease. Surface
of the seed becomes contaminated with the
bacteria, remaining on the seed surface for
some time.
 The organism survives in alternate hosts, on
volunteer tomato plants and on infected plant
debris.

Control Measures
neem seed kernal extract

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 TOMATO SPOTTED WILT DISEASE: PEANUT BUD NECROSIS VIRUS

Symptom

 It causes streaking of the leaves, stems and fruits. Numerous small, dark, circular spots
appear on younger leaves.
 Leaves may have a bronzed appearance and later turn dark brown and wither.
 Fruits show numerous spots about one-half inch In diameter
withconcentric, circularmarkings. On ripefruit, these markings are
alternate bands of red and yellow.
 The spotted wilt virus is transmitted through thrips (Thrips tabaci,
Frankliniella schultzi and F. occidentalis).

Control measures

 trichoderma viridi

Extracted from:

Manual Prepared by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), Andhra Pradesh

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