CROP HUSBANDRY-TOMATO CULTIVATION PRACTICES IN KERALA

TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum)
Varieties

Bacterial wilt resistant varieties: Sakthi, Mukthi, Anagha
High yielding variety: Pusa Ruby

Seed rate: 400 g/ha

Raising seedlings
Tomato is a transplanted vegetable. Seeds are sown in the nursery and one-month-old seedlings are transplanted to the main field. For sowing the seeds, raised seed beds of 90 to 100 cm width and of convenient length are prepared to which well decomposed organic matter has been incorporated. After sowing the seeds, mulch with green leaves and irrigate with a rose-can daily in the morning. Remove the mulch immediately after germination of the seeds. Restrict irrigation one week before transplanting and irrigate heavily on the previous day of transplanting.

Time of planting

Transplant the seedlings during October-November for an irrigated crop.

Land preparation and transplanting

Land is prepared to a fine tilth by thorough ploughing or digging. Well rotten organic manure is incorporated in the soil and seedlings are transplanted in shallow trenches / pits / levelled lands. Transplanted seedlings may be given temporary shade for three to four days during hot days.

Spacing

Transplant the seedlings at 60 x 60 cm.

Manuring

Apply well rotten farm yard manure / compost @ 20-25 t/ha at the time of land preparation and mix well with the soil. A fertilizer dose of 75:40:25 kg N:P2O5:K2O / ha may be given. Half the dose of nitrogen, full phosphorus and half of potash may be applied as basal before transplanting. One fourth of nitrogen and half of potash may be applied 20-30 days after planting. The remaining quantity may be applied two months after planting.

Aftercultivation

Irrigate at two or three days interval. Stake the plants if necessary. Weeding followed by fertilizer application and earthing up may be done at one and two months after transplanting.

Plant protection

For avoiding damping off of the seedlings in the nursery, sow the seeds as thin as possible in raised beds prepared in the open area. Spray nursery and main field with 1% Bordeaux mixture at monthly intervals. Uproot and destroy the plants affected by bacterial wilt and mosaic.
Cultivate resistant varieties like Sakthi, Mukthi and Anagha in bacterial wilt prone areas.