Tomato Production

TECHNOGUIDE FOR TOMATO PRODUCTION

Tomato, scientifically known as Lycopersicum esculentum Miller is an important and popular vegetable grown in many parts of the world. The fruit is used as an ingredient in many food preparations and is regarded as one of the most profitable crops for off-season production, preferably from May to September.

This technoguide covers the cultural practices in growing tomato. It is designed to acquaint and guide farmers in growing the crop after rice production.

Recommended Varieties:

Tomato varieties are classified according to their growth habit such as indeterminate or determinate type. The indeterminate type develops new stems from axillary bud in the leaf subtending the inflorescence with continued growth of internodal inflorescence every 3rd to 4th leaf with sequential maturity depending on the type variety and management, prolonging the harvesting period.

The determinate type is bushy with an inflorescence limited only to 4-6 leaves and the next buds are developed slowly if not aborted restricting the prolific flowering resulting in shorter production period.

The varieties of tomatoes recommended for production are:
• Apollo (for fresh market) - It is a determinate bush type, tolerant to mosaic virus, and moderately resistant to bacterial wilt. It is prolific with a productive period of 3 months and an average yield of 30 tons/ha
• Magilas (for fresh market) - It is determinate, high yielding, but with short productive period of 1-2 months. It is resistant to bacterial wilt, mosaic virus, and damping off. It yields an average of 30 tons/ha
• Atlas (grafted or kamlong) - It is an F1 hybrid tomato, which is semi-determinate, and has a longer productive period. It is resistant to bacterial wilt and mosaic virus and yields an average of 40 tons/ha.

Site Selection/Soil Type:

Choose a part of the farm that is slightly elevated with good drainage to avoid water logging in case a flash flood occurs during the wet season. For dry season planting, make a catchment canal that will drain the excess water after irrigation. Choose a sandy loam or clay loam soil with a pH of 5.5-8.0.

Growing Season:

Tomato can be grown anytime of the year. Plant tomato from September to January in hilly areas, and from November to February in lowland areas. Grow off-season type and grafted tomatoes (kamlong) from May to September for bigger profit.

Land Preparation:

With the use of carabao-drawn implements, plow and harrow the area once and twice if the soil is not in good tilth. Before transplanting, set furrows at a distance of 100 cm for indeterminate type that tends to become semi-viny. For determinate type with bushy growth habit, set at 75 cm distance between furrows.

Seedling Production:
There are two methods of seedling production: the use of seedbed and seedling trays.

1. Seedbed method:

• For 1000 m2 tomato production, use one seedbed measuring 1 x 10 m so that seedlings will not be overcrowded, thereby producing seedlings with bigger stems. Cover the seedbed with 3-5 cm thick rice hull and then burn completely to minimize the incidence of pre-emergence damping-off on the seedlings.

• Mix 10 kg compost and 100 g complete fertilizer then incorporate these evenly into the seedbed. Sow the seeds in small shallow furrows at a rate of 20-30 g/10 m2. Cover the seeds lightly with fine soil.
• Dust the surroundings of the seedbed with Sevin SP to avoid ants, and spray 1 tbsp of Vitigran blue per gallon of water to avoid infection of damping-off disease.
• To ensure uniform germination of the seeds, saturate the seedbed with water for the first three days using sprinkler until the seeds emerge.

• To avoid succulent stems, regulate watering as soon as the seedlings emerged. For the seedlings to have a good start, apply urea at a rate of 1 tbsp/gal of water at 7-14 days after emergence (DAE). Sprinkle water on the seedlings using a sprinkler (regador) immediately after applying the fertilizer to avoid burning effect on the leaves. Drench the seedbeds with Vitigran blue at the rate of 1 tbsp/gal of water once damping-off is observed. To produce hard seedlings, water the seedbed only when plants show temporary wilting (which can be observed in the morning). Water the plants regularly starting at 14 DAE until the seedlings are ready for transplanting, which is at 25-30 DAE. Water the seedbeds thoroughly before pulling the seedlings for transplanting to minimize root damage.

• Seedling tray method:

• Seedling tray method needs only 100 g seeds/ha or 10 g for 1000 m2. Plant the seeds singly in each hole of the tray intended for seedlings with potting medium available at seed stores, or bake garden soil for 2 hours. When cooled, mix the garden soil, fine sand, and compost at the ratio of 3:1:1. Drop 2-3 grains of 14-14-14 in each hole before filling with the soil mixture. Care and maintenance of seedlings is the same as in seedbed but transplanting shock is minimized in tray method.

Transplanting:

For wet season planting, use one month old seedlings because these are harder, taller, and can withstand the impact of rain. Transplant seedlings at a spacing of 0.50 m between hills and 1.0 m or 0.75 m on rows or furrow right after irrigation water run in the furrows. For dry season, transplant 25 day-old seedlings.

To avoid breaking the stem of seedlings during transplanting on irrigated furrows, hold the roots with the thumb and forefinger then push towards the soil at 3-5 cm deep depending on the length of the stem. For an area of 1000 m2, transplant the seedlings on the right side of the furrows for the first half of the area. For the next half, transplant on the left side of the furrows. For easier off-barring, use a carabao-drawn plow.

For seedlings in trays, transplant each seedling together with the soil from the hole using the same planting distance and method of transplanting as in seedbed method. If grafted tomato will be used, transplant the seedlings 3 cm deep to the hole and cover firmly with light soil. Support the transplanted seedlings with trellis.

Fertilizer Application:

Broadcast chicken manure or organic fertilizer before land preparation or at final harrowing to fully incorporate the fertilizer in the soil (Table 1). Apply 14-14-14 at transplanting so that seedlings will be healthy and vigorous before flowering. Delayed application will result in weaker plants and smaller fruits. Side dress using urea mixed with muriate of potash (0-0-60) for higher fruit setting, and to prolong the fruiting period of the crop.


Weeding and Cultivation:

By using a carabao-drawn plow or hand hoe, cultivate in between rows of plants by off barring at 14-21 days after transplanting (DAT). Hill-up at 28-35 DAT. Spot-weed just after off-barring and hilling-up if there are standing weeds. If plastic mulch is available, mulch the area before transplanting. Spot-weed at the surrounding of the seedlings at 14-21 DAT.

Irrigation:

Four to five irrigations are needed from transplanting to 14 days before the last harvest depending on the type of soil. Tomato is very sensitive to flooding, hence, irrigation must be done just to moisten the root zone especially during the onset of flowering up to the last harvest.

The following irrigation schedule must be followed for a 1000 m2 area:
First : during transplanting (flooding) or hand watering
Second : 14 DAT (flooding) or hand watering
Third : at vegetative stage (21 DAT), handwater at 1 liter/hill.
Fourth : at flowering and early fruiting (30 DAT) handwater at 1
liter/hill.
Fifth : optional, depending on the appearance of the plants at
harvesting stage (hand water if necessary)

Irrigate by furrow (quick passing) to minimize soil erosion and to favor high fruit setting. Water logging for 24 hours will favor the occurrence of wilt diseases and reduce fruit setting. In the absence of surface irrigation, hand water the plants weekly at the rate of 1 liter/hill until two weeks before the last harvest.

For tomato with plastic mulch, hand water twice a week for the whole crop duration.
Management of Insect Pests and Diseases
Insect pests and diseases of tomato are managed by using chemical, biological, and remedial measures. Most of the pests and diseases of tomato are common throughout the year except thrips and whiteflies, which are present only during dry season starting in January, declining in May and ending in June or July depending on the arrival of rain.

Table 2 shows the pests and diseases of tomato and their control. One peculiar disease is the blossom-end rot (Fig. 5), which is described as calcium deficiency by soil scientists but as fungal disease by pathologists because of the presence of pathogen in the rotten tissue. This can be managed by spraying fungicide with zinc oxide or spraying foliar fertilizer with high calcium.

Both diagnoses are correct since the deficiency in calcium will form undeveloped end of the fruits resulting in dead tissues. This fruit end becomes susceptible to infection of saprophitic fungus that causes the blossom-end rot.


Other Biological and Remedial Control of tomato pests and diseases:

• To control worms at fruiting stage, use
Neem seed extracts at 200-300 ml extract/16 L water
Hot pepper extracts at 100-200 ml extract /16 L water
• Repellants for other pests:
Tubai – 100 to 200 ml pure tubai leaf extract to 16 L water. Spray on the whole plant.
Karot – mix 100 to 200 ml of karot tuber extract to 16 L of water and spray directly on foliage of the plant

• Other fungi and bacteria
Fungi/bacteria and mildew – 2.5% solution of ordinary chlorox/baking soda. Spray directly on the affected parts or whole plant.
Fungal/bacterial diseases – zinc oxide powder at 2-3 tbsp/16 L water (with sticker during wet season). Spray directly on foliage.
Bacterial diseases – 1 kg of each guava/star apple leaves and boil in 1 gal water. Restore the 1 gal volume to 16 L with sticker. Spray on leaves/fruits
Fungal diseases – Cassia alata leaves extract (Andadasi or acapulco) 1 L/16 L water. Spray on leaves/whole plants.
Blossom end rot- foliar spray of plant nutrients high in calcium at flowering stage.

Harvesting:

Harvest fruits intended for future use at matured green stage or at 1-2 months during rainy season. Matured green fruits gradually ripen in one month at room temperature. Frequent harvesting on the plants sustains the production of more fruits. For immediate use, harvest the fruits at breaker pink stage, which will fully ripen within three days at ambient temperature but can be slowed when stored in a refrigerated condition.