Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)
- Family: Solanaceae
- Origin: Peru (South America)
- Chromosome Number: 2n = 24
- Fruit Type: Berry
- Nicknames: Protective Food. Third most important vegetable (after Potato & Onion)
- Climatic Nature: Summer season crop; sensitive to frost
Area, Production & Export
- Global Position: No.1 processing vegetable in the world
- India:3rd in area & production among vegetables
- Export Centers: Nasik, Pune (MH), Bengaluru (KA)
- Tomato Products in Export: Puree, Paste
Soil & Climate Requirements
- Soil: Well-drained loamy, rich in organic matter (pH: 6.5–7.5)
- Optimal Lycopene Formation: 21–24°C
- Lycopene production drops: Above 27°C
- Crop Duration: 110–115 days (from transplanting). 135–140 days (from sowing)
- Sowing Seasons: May–June (Kharif). Nov–Dec (Rabi)
Seed & Planting
- Seed Rate: Normal: 350–400 g/ha. Hybrid: 100–150 g/ha
- Spacing: 60 × 45 cm
- Training/Pruning: Followed in indeterminate types
- Staking: Required for indeterminate varieties
- F1 Hybrid Coverage: ~33% of total tomato area (highest among vegetables)
Pest & Disease Management
Major Diseases
Disease | Cause & Control |
Late Blight | Phytophthora infestans – Copper oxychloride @ 3g/L + Bacteromycin 0.1g/L |
Damping Off (nursery) | Pythium spp. – Seed treatment with Trichoderma viride (4g/kg) or P. fluorescens (10g/kg) |
Leaf Spot | Alternaria spp. – Zineb/Mancozeb @ 2g/L |
Leaf Curl Virus | Vector: Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) |
Major Insects
Insect | Control |
Fruit Borer (Helicoverpa armigera) | Intercropping with marigold (1:16) |
Whitefly | Vector of leaf curl virus |
Nutrient & Growth Regulation
- Micronutrients: Boron (B) & Zinc (Zn) are critical
- 2,4-D @ 2–5 ppm: Induces parthenocarpy and early fruit set
- PCPA @ 20 ppm: Enhances fruit set and yield.
- Common Physiological Disorders:
- Fruit Cracking: Boron deficiency, moisture imbalance
- Blossom End Rot (BER): Calcium deficiency + high temp
- Puffiness: Due to poor pollination, extreme temperatures
- Cat Face: Abnormal growth due to hormonal imbalance
Important Varieties
- Introduced; Roma, Sioux, Tip Top, Best of All.
- Selection; Improved Meeruti, Pant Bahar (Verticillium & Fusarium resistant). Arka Saurabh
🔹 Hybrids
Variety | Parentage / Speciality |
Pusa Ruby | Sioux × Improved Meeruti (Best combiner) |
Pusa Early Dwarf | Improved Meeruti × Red Cloud |
Marglobe | Marvel × Globe |
Pusa Red Plum | L. esculentum × L. pimpinellifolium |
Sweet-72 | Pusa Red Plum × Sioux |
Pusa Uphar | Suitable for processing |
Pusa Sheetal | For low temp regions |
Pusa Gaurav | Glamour × Watch |
Hissar Lalima, Arun, Lalit | Early & processing use |
Special Varieties (Biotech & Resistance)
Trait / Resistance | Varieties |
GM Variety | Flavr Savr (delay ripening) |
Biotech Development | Flaursaur (India) |
Bacterial Wilt | Shakti, Arka Abha, Arka Alok, Sonali |
Nematode + Bacterial Wilt | Arka Vardan |
Root Knot Nematode | Sel-120 |
Leaf Curl Virus | Hissar Gaurav, Hissar Anmol |
Verticillium & Fusarium Wilt | Pant Bahar |
Rainfed | Arka Meghali |
Drought Tolerant | Arka Vikas |
Processing Varieties | Roma, Punjab Chhuhara, Pusa Uphar |
Long Transport | Arka Abhijit (Breaker stage – 10% lycopene) |
Extreme Earliness | Hissar Arun |
Indeterminate Varieties; Pusa Ruby, Arka Vikas, Best of All, Pusa Divya, Arka Saurabh, Pant Bahar, Sioux
Yield
Type | Yield |
Varieties | 30–40 t/ha |
Hybrids | 80–95 t/ha |
