From Seed to Harvest: A Comprehensive Guide to Tomato Farming

Tomato Farming– A brief Guide

Do you want to explore the best tips and hacks for organic tomato cultivation? Learn with the guide from sowing to harvest to produce high-yield marketable tomatoes.

Table of contents.

Tomato Farming– A brief Guide

Introduction to tomato farming

A brief introduction to tomato

Area and production in India

Nutritive value of Tomato fruits

Introduction of Tomato

Soil bed preparation for tomato planting

Organic farming of Tomato

Rotation of crops

Planting material

Fertility of soil

Irrigation required in tomato cultivation

FAQs

1. What is the seed treatment and rate in organic tomato farming?
2. What is the cost of organic tomatoes?
3. Name some organic tomato farming fertilizers?
4. What is the tomato’s yield per acre?

Introduction to Tomato farming

The red, sweet, and tangy taste reminds me of tomatoes. Does tomato farming fascinate you? Do you want to know how these juicy tomatoes are grown? The various varieties and organic techniques of growing tomatoes make it worth tasting.

The process of growing organic tomatoes includes several steps, which start from assessing the soil and climate, using the pesticides & fertilizers, applying the adequate irrigation, disease prevention, and timely harvesting. Let’s read about the process of tomato cultivation.

Area and production in India

It is amazing to note the quantum jump in the spread of tomato during the last four decades. In India, crops were grown in an area of 36000 ha. During 1960 and present area and production in the country is 4.58 lakh ha. and 74.62 lakh tones respectively with a productivity of 16.29 t/ha. Leading producing states are UP, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab and Bihar.

Nutritive value of Tomato fruits

Tomato occupies a prime position in list of protective foods since it is a rich source of minerals like calcium (48 mg / 100g), sodium (12.9 mg), trace elements, copper (0.19 mg), vitamins like vitamin A (900 IU), vitamin C (27 mg), vitamin B complex (thiamine), essential amino acids and healthy organic acids like citric, formic and acetic acids

A brief Introduction to Tomato

Tomatoes belong to the genus Lycopersicon which originated from the Solanaceae family. It’s a sprawling herbaceous plant with a flexible fragile neck that grows 1-3 m in height. Tomatoes are known worldwide and are one of the most consumable Solanaceae vegetables.

In short, tomato cultivation generates high-yield products with less storage period. The farming and rate of tomatoes are pretty economical for farmers and consumers both. The production from tomato farming is increasing as consumption is speeding up.

Let’s learn the best ways to grow tomatoes with the best cultivation practices and the best techniques to get the high produce.

Soil bed preparation for tomato planting

The sandy and loam soil is the ideal soil considered for growing organic tomatoes. The pH of the soil must be neutral. The tomatoes didn’t succeed in clay soil because they didn’t allow the long roots to spread evenly inside the ground.

If the farmers have only clay soil, it can be amalgamated with sand, peat moss, or coco coir to inculcate moisture, texture, and drainage into the soil.

If the farmer is growing organic tomatoes in a pot or putting fresh seeds in a bed of field, they must use aged compost. The aged compost has extra nutrients, which incorporates the perfect balance of moisture, texture, and drainage in soil and helps produce the best tomatoes.

Green manures, cover crops, rock minerals, and compost help form the combination of organic soil. However, acidic soil with a pH of 6.2-6.8 encourages growth, and the warmth of sandy soil pushes the early harvesting of tomato farming.

Organic farming of Tomato

Organic farming refers to the production of fruits and vegetables with natural components like aged compost, organic or plant-based pesticides, and bio-fertilizers. In organic tomato farming, a different set of the environment is designed, which includes preparing the farm, management, and strategy to achieve sustainable development without using harmful chemicals.

The ultimate goal of organic farming is to produce high-quality agricultural products with no chemical products. It keeps the environment healthy and clean, along with maintaining soil fertility.

However, organic tomato farming is a little expensive and takes time to adjust, settle and attain equilibrium. Here are the components of organic agriculture which help achieve the best outcome in vegetable and fruit production.

• Rotation of crops

Rotation of crops is the best way to boost the healthy production of vegetables and fruits. It is suggested to rotate Solanaceae crops with non-Solanaceae crops like legumes and pulses to regulate the soil quality and avoid pests in the crops. It also builds the nutritional level of tomatoes.

• Planting material

Selection of the planting material boosts the production and saves from further wastage. It includes high-yielding chemically untreated seeds, certified farms, aged compost, and organic compounds. A mixture of local and outside tomato seeds adds to the various range.

• Fertility of soil

Over time, using chemical products, soil loses fertility and needs refilling. Make sure to add organic components to the ground to boost and maintain soil nutrition. Keep rotating the crops and maintain the nitrogen level of the soil.

Irrigation required in Tomato cultivation

The plant size, climate, and soil texture of tomatoes decide the water requirement. Overhead sprinklers, surface & furrow flooding, and trickle or drip irrigation techniques are used in tomato farming. The flooding technique is used in large production, while the sprinkler technique is used for wetting the crops from foliage to soil. Tomato farming requires 1-1.3 inches of water once a week.

The irrigation for tomato farming requires experience as it needs the right amount of water at the right time. In winter, it needs irrigation every 10-15 days; in summers, it needs 5-7 days of interval irrigation. 

FAQs

Q1. What is the seed treatment and rate in organic tomato farming?

Ans. The organic tomato seeds rate comes expensive and needs to be sown in an ice cube tray or plastic cups which need 70-90g. On the other hand, the nursery needs 200-250 g of seeds to plant in a hectare. Incorporate 5-10 g/kg of Trichoderma or 2 g/kg of Carbendazim with seeds to prevent seed borne diseases. Seeds are dried for 30 minutes, sown into the lines of ½ cm depth, and the seeds are wrapped with a top layer of soil.

Q2. What is the cost of organic tomatoes?

Ans. In organic tomato farming, the spacing for spring-summer crops is 75 x 45 cm and for autumn-winter crops is 75 x 60 cm. Spacing is essential to provide adequate air to every seed.

Q3. Name some organic tomato farming fertilizers?

Ans. Compost, Organic Cottonseed meal, Epsom salt, and Fish emulsion are some organic options of fertilizers for tomato cultivation to attain the best production of fresh, taste-packed, juicy, tangy, and nutritious tomatoes.

Q4. What is the tomato’s yield per acre?

Ans. Tomatoes are harvested after three months from the plantation, and around 8- 10 harvesting takes the place of tomato farming. According to records, the average yield per acre of tomato farming is 10 tonnes, and it may vary upto 15-20 per acre due to different reasons like irrigation and unpredictable climate. Green, pink, maturity, and complete stage are the four stages of the harvest of tomato farming.