TOMATO Solanum Lycopersicum

Fruit and vegetable production (EAG 254-2)Export Agriculture Degree Program

Content Introduction Cultivars/ varieties & crop improvementsCrop managementPostharvest handling & value additionCommon pest & diseases, nutritional

disorders & management strategies

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Tomato is one of the most widely cultivated important vegetable crop in the world. At present, about 160 million tons of fresh tomatoes are produced from 4.7 million ha (FAOSTAT,2011)

Tomatoes are native to south America, but were bought to Europe sometime in the 15th century, where they soon became popular & were exported around the world

Nomenclature & Classification

Kingdom- Plantae

Unranked- Angiosperms

Unranked- Eudicots

Unraked- Asterids

Order- Solanales

Genus- Solanum

Species- S. Lycopersicum

Botany

It is a perennial plant & typically grows to 1-3 meters in height; but the stem is weak that often sprawls over the ground

Roots Two kinds of root systems, taproot and fibrous.

Stems Tomatoes are herbaceous plants, they have non-

woody stems Stems move the water and minerals from the

roots to the shoots

Leaves The leaf has two parts, the petiole and the

blade The petiole of the leaf is the thin stalk that

holds the leaf away from the stem The blade is the flat part of the leaf that

grows from the end of the petiole

Flower Yellow in color and is scented to attract pollinators

Fruit It is a berry fruit & considered as a vegetable

for culinary purposes Fruit develops from the ovary of the flower It's fleshy and each tomato contains seeds

Tomatoes undergo 04 main stages of growth during their life;

1. Seed germination

2. Vegetative stage

3. Flowering stage

4. Fruiting stage

Statistics On Cultivation & Production

China , the largest producer, accounts for about one quarter of the global output followed by India & US ( source: FAOSTAT,2011)

In Sri Lankan production, 80% is confined to six districts and those major producing districts are Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Matale, Anuradhapura & Ratnapura. In 2010, 7261 ha of land were cultivated and harvest of 75335 MT of tomatoes was obtained. ( Dep. Of census & statistics)

Top producers of tomatoes in world

Exportation

Maldives is the main destination & second destination is Seychelles mainly exports from Sri Lanka. According to the total production, In Sri Lanka the majority is consumed locally

With respect to tomato exports, according to the department of customs, only 1631kg of tomatoes were exported in 2005 & increased only up to 10194 kg in 2009

In 2020 tomato exports from Sri Lanka reduced rapidly & it shows that tomato exports are at a very low level compared to the production

The only local destination for fresh tomatoes is the consumers who purchase tomatoes in the form of a fresh fruit

Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, morocco, France are the top countries that exported tomato in 2019

Importation

The Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates & Thailand are the main suppliers of tomato imports to Sri Lanka

For the 8th year in a row Sri Lanka recorded growth in imports of overseas purchases of tomatoes in 2020.

Varieties/ Cultivars

Most cultivars produce red fruits, but a number of genotypes with yellow, orange, pink, purple, green, black or white fruit are also available

Multi-colored & striped fruits are also quite striking

KWR, T 146, T 245, Thilina, Biyan, Lanka saver (goraka takkali), Roma, Mahesha, K.C. 01, Rajitha, Tharidu, Ravi, Rashmi, VF6203, Super Shepherd Pepper, TSH04

As the crop improvements there are some newly introduced varieties; hybrids- TSH35, TSH18, TSH24, TSH26, TSH25, TSH28, TSH29, TSH31, TSH32, TSH33, Beefsteak TSH27

Uses Important source of vitamin

Important cash crop for medium scale commercial farmers

Contributes to a healthy well balanced diet- rich in minerals, vitamins, amino acid, sugars & dietary fibers

It contains much vitamin B & C, iron & phosphorus, ripe tomato contains 93%-94% of water

Use to preventing cancers

Use to prevent diabetes, diseases of the heart & blood vessels, cataracts & asthma

Consume as canned food & sauce

CULTIVARS/CROP VARIETES AND IMPROVEMENT

KWR

Determinate type (bush type)

Recommended areas are low, mid & up country

Resistant to bacterial wilt

Wilt resistant

Fruits are ; orange red in colour, bearing period 2-3.5, small to medium size, acidic, average weight 50g

T 146

Determinate type

Recommended mid, dry & up country IZ

Moderately resistant

Bacterial wilt fruits are; orange red in colour with green shoulder, bearing period 2-3.5 months, medium size, average weight 90g

Thilina

Semi determinate type

Fruits are orange- red in colour

1st harvest about 2.5 months after transplant

Planting; medium size, thick pericarp, hard fruits, average weight 85-95g

Mahesha

Hybrid variety

Potential high yield

Resistant to bacterial wilt

Fruits are ; red colour, average weight 125g

Resistant to cracking

Superior shelf life in store

Large size

VF resistant, tolerant to bacterial speck & pinnacle herbicide

TSH35Resistant to verticillium & Fusarium

Tolerant to bacterial speck

Tolerant to pinnacle herbicide

TSH04 Tolerant to high rainfall & disease pressure

TSH27Beefsteak Resistance to

yellow shoulder syndrome

TSH29

Crop Improvements Wild tomatoes are small, green & largely unappetizing but through

the biotechnological developments there are many varieties of tomatoes have introduced

Polygalacturonase was inserted into tomato & this enzyme degrades pectin, a component of the tomato cell wall, causing the fruit to soften and after expressing this gene it cause to delaying fruit ripening process

DNA Plant Technology(DNAP), Agritope & Monsanto developed tomatoes delayed ripening

Insecticidal toxin from the bacterium bacillus thuringiensis has been inserted into plants & cause to the resistance to tobacco hornworm, tomato fruit worm, tomato pinworm & tomato fruit borer

Tomato resistant to a root knot nematode have been created by inserting a cysteine proteinase inhibitor gene from taro

Ceropin B gene in giant silk moth introduced into tomato to resistance to bacterial wilt & bacterial spot

pest resistant tomatoes can reduce the ecological foot print of tomato production while at the same time increase farm income

The concentration of pro-vitamin a was increased by adding a bacterial gene encoding phytoene desaturase

Tobacco osmotic gene introduce into tomato that cause to held higher water content, drought tolerance & salt stress

By inserting Mi gene there is a contribution of biotechnology to root knot nematode control in tomato & somatic hybridization also use to get improvements to tomato.

CROP MANAGEMENT

Nursery Management

Suitable period is mid of march or end of august Recommended 1m3m raised beds & required to

remove clods of earth & stubble Bed should prepared by using farmyard manure

& fine sand Paddy straw can use as mulching material

Field Establishment

Required 21 -27 temperature℃ ℃ pH should 5.8-6.8 Elevation 1000-2000m

Soil Required mineral soil that has proper water

holding capacity and aeration and is free of soil.

Prefers to deep well drained sandy loam soils.

Transplanting Seedlings should be transplant to the field 3-4

weeks after sowing. Week before transplanting seedlings should be

hardened by reducing application of water Seedlings of 15-25 cm tall with 3-5 true leaves are

most suitable for transplanting Transplanting should be done in the afternoon or

on a cloudy day reduce the transplanting shock.

Watering

Watering is important to the plant regularly especially during flowering & fruit formation period

Weed Control

Hand weed at 3rd & 6th week after planting is require as weed control

Spacing -  80 cm x 50 cmSeed rate - 300g-400g /Hac-1

Fertilizer Application

Liming

Organic manure

Chemical Fertilizer :- Urea, TSP, MOP, N, P2O, K2O

Tomato plant requires frequent shallow cultivation especially during 1st month in the field

As considering about pH value and other requirements fungicides can apply if it is required

Harvesting is depending on the variety & the purpose of that each variety is used; first picking in about 60-80 days after transplanting

Fruits are normally harvested early in the morning or evening

Harvesting can be done by twisting motion of hand to separate fruits from the stem & harvested fruits should kept in shade

Generally there will be 7-11 harvests in a crop life span & average yield per hectare is 20-25 t/ha for normal varieties and 50-60 t/ha for hybrid varieties

POST HARVEST HANDLING AND VALUE ADDITION

Harvesting and Post –harvest Technology

Depending on the variety, fruits become ready for first picking in about 60-80 days after transplanting.

Fruits are normally harvested early in the morning or evening. The fruits are harvested by twisting motion of hand to separate

fruits from the stem. Harvested fruits should be kept in shade

Grading

Damaged, rotten and cracked fruits should be removed.

On the basis of the size of fruits, three grades are common,

small ( 255 g)medium (100-255 g) Large (> 255 g)

Packaging For local markets, the fruits are

packed in bamboo baskets or plastic crates.

Use rigid 30 cm ventilated plastic crates. It is better to use polyethylene liner to improve quality.

For exports, the fruits are packed in cardboard telescopic boxes

Storage Techniques

• Cold storage conditions are 13-210c and 90.95% relative humidity

• In cold storage, unripe tomatoes can be stored for 4 weeks at a temperature of 8-100 C with 85-90 % relative humidity

• Enclose in seated low density polyethylene bags before storing at low temperature

Transporting If produce is packed in plastic

crates stock them in lorries for transport

Use ventilated lorries Do not open lorries Protect from sun light and rain

careful loading and unloading

Value Addition

Tomato Value Added Products

1) Tomato Puree

2) Tomato Juice

3) Mixtures of Vegetable Juice

4) Tomato Ketchup

5) Tomato Jam

6) Tomato Powder

7) Tomato Sauce

8) Tomato Pickle

9) Tomato Chutney

10) Dried tomato

11) Tomato Soup

12) Tomato Paste 

COMMON PEST AND DISEASE, NUTRITIONAL DISORDERS AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Common Pest and Diseases

Pest control

Cut worm (Agrotis spp)

The young plants are cut from the base

Tomato pod borer (Heliothis armigera)

Damaged leaves

Bores in fruits

Tobacco Caterpillar (Spodoptera litura)

Mature larvae, migrate and cause extensive damage to leaves and fruits.

Whitefly (Bemisia tabacii)

Deformation of young leaves.

Disease control

Damping Off (Pythium aphanidermatum) Damping off of tomato occurs in two stages,

Pre-emergence seedlings are killed just before they reach the soil surface

young radical and the plumule are killed

Post-emergence phase Infection of the young, juvenile tissues of the collar at the

ground level.

Control

1. Prepare nursery beds in well drained virgin soil or subsoil2. Nursery sterilization

Apply 10cm leveled thickness at paddy husk and paddy straw on the nursery bed. Then burn it form opposite wind direction.

Covered the nursery beds with transparent polythene sheet for a minimum of seven continues sunny day

Treat seeds and drench soil with recommended fungicide like captan and thiram

Downy mildew White patches on the lower surface of

leaves while the upper surface of leaves become yellowish then brown and leaves die, seedling death may result.

Control Use recommended fungicide like

Chlorothalonil (Dacornil)Propineb (Antrocol)MancozebManeb

Blossom end rot Dark green water soaked spots appear

at the blossom end of the fruit and enlarge until the fruits begin to ripen. Affected tissues are hard and leathery initially but due to secondary infection, fruit rot can develop

Control Water regularly to avoid drought stress

Leaf curl virus Leaves Curl upward Reduction of fruit size

Control Remove diseased plant Spray with insecticides for vector control

Anthracnose

Sunken brown spots on fruits and leaves Discoloration of buds and die-back of plants

Control Remove and destroy infected plants Use recommended fungicides like

Chlorothalonil (Dacornil) 20 g/10 l-1Mancozeb      20 g/10 l-1Maneb          20 g/10 l-1

Blight

The disease affects foliage stems and fruits water soaked spots on leaves enlarge in to brownish or purplish lesions

Under moist conditions a white mildew develops spores on the underside of leaves

Control Ensure field sanitation by eliminating diseased materials Grow resistant varieties

Bacterial wilt

Sudden and permanent wilting similar to water stress

Discoloration of vascular tissue

Control

Crop rotation with non Solanaceae crops

Use wilt resistant verities

Soil sterilization with fungicides such as methyl bromide can be effective but is very costly

Nutritional Disorders

Nitrogen

Deficiency

Lack of vigor in the plant, with thin stalks and rigid petioles

The leaves become pale green, yellow, or even reddish

Fruits are of lower caliber.

Excess

 Stimulation of vegetative growth and falling of flowers. - pale green with yellow leave-

Maturation is irregular and reduces production yields

-leaves cure upward-

Potassium

Deficiency The leaves curve upward Yellowish star-shaped spot at the fruit apex.

Excess Blocks elements such as zinc, iron, magnesium, and manganese.

stunted growth-

Calcium

Deficiency  Lack of vigor in the plant Rotting of the fruit at its apex.

Excess Stunted growth of the plant

-

Magnesium

Deficiency Interveinal chlorosis on the most mature

leaves  Yellowish or orangish tone at the center of

the leaves Excess

At high levels, magnesium competes with calcium and potassium for absorption by the plant -yellowish tone-

Phosphorus

Deficiency

 Mature leaves take on a purplish tone in their interveinal spaces and on the leaf backs

Loss of vigor

Curving of the stalk

Excess: 

Blocks elements such as iron, zinc, or copper.

-

- purplish tone-

Management Strategies

Tomato produced in the off-season usually receives higher prices in the market

With protective structures such as net houses and polyhouses, growers can produce tomatoes during the off-season

These structures, if carefully constructed and maintained, increase productivity and returns per unit area, and keep pests away

Integrated Pest Management Strategies 

Armyworms, aphids, whiteflies, cutworm, tobacco caterpillar, spider mites, and root nod nematodes are the major pests of tomato under protective structures

PM component technologies such as cultural practices, colored sticky traps, sex pheromone , traps, biopesticides, and natural enemies are highly effective in reducing the damage caused by pests

Conclusion

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop. Tomatoes are

native to South America. The tomato is consumed in diverse forms, including

raw, as an ingredient in several dishes, sauces, salads, and drinks. It is a perennial

in its native habitat, although often grown outdoors in temperate climates as an

annual. Most cultivars produce red fruits, but a number of genotypes with yellow,

orange, pink, purple, green, black, or white fruit are also available. In addition,

postharvest handling aims to minimize losses at the least possible cost.

Group Members

Ekanayaka E.M.Y.U.K UWU/EAG/18/037

Vidushani M.A.R UWU/EAG/18/038