Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
HORTICULTURALISTS: Tomato farming
HORTICULTURALISTS: Tomato farming: "TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum L) What to know: There are two types of tomatoes a) Determinate-when they flower; there is no more ..."
Tomato farming
TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum L)
What to know:
There are two types of tomatoes
a) Determinate-when they flower; there is no more vegetative growth
b) Indeterminate-Elongation of stem continues throughout the growing season
CULTURAL PRACTICES
Nursery:
1M wide by 4M long: avoid sitting the nursery where potatoes, brinjals, sweet pepper, chilies have been grown in the previous 3years due to disease risk.
Sow seeds in drills 20 cm apart ,1 cm deep, later thin out to have sturdy seedlings
A} TRANSPLANTING:
Seedlings are transplanted at 4 weeks (after they are sown)
NB: Spacing depends on whether one is able to supply the essential requirements for growth
B}NUTRIENTS:::: Tomatoes require approx. 32-72kg N/acre(Nitrogen0
32-80kgP/acre(Phosphorus)
32-80kgK/acre(potassium)
How to apply
N:Generally ,apply in splits of more than2.best applied 3 weeks after transplanting, a second application at the start of flowering s beneficial,but not when fruits are forming because it promotes vegetative growth (Rem.Nobody sells/buys tomato leaves)
P:Applied or proper root development,fruit set, fruit quality, peel color, pulp color and the quality contents
K:deficiency leads to ripening disorders .it is also important for fruit keeping quality. Apply fertilizers witha high K few weeks before flowering and during flowering to fruiting stage.(Foliar fertilizers do well)
Calcium and Magnesium: Low ca & high Mg in soil leads to blossom end rot.
C}TRAINING/STAKING
Applies mainly to indeterminate type. removal of suckers(desuckering) PRUNING IS ALSO DONE REGULARLY-removal of leaves especially those which are touching the ground(prune by cutting outside shoots as early as possible,leaving two main stems)
Flowering: tomatoes flower 5-7 weeks after sowing
MATURITY: A tomato fruit takes 6-8 weeks to mature
What to know:
There are two types of tomatoes
a) Determinate-when they flower; there is no more vegetative growth
b) Indeterminate-Elongation of stem continues throughout the growing season
CULTURAL PRACTICES
Nursery:
1M wide by 4M long: avoid sitting the nursery where potatoes, brinjals, sweet pepper, chilies have been grown in the previous 3years due to disease risk.
Sow seeds in drills 20 cm apart ,1 cm deep, later thin out to have sturdy seedlings
A} TRANSPLANTING:
Seedlings are transplanted at 4 weeks (after they are sown)
NB: Spacing depends on whether one is able to supply the essential requirements for growth
B}NUTRIENTS:::: Tomatoes require approx. 32-72kg N/acre(Nitrogen0
32-80kgP/acre(Phosphorus)
32-80kgK/acre(potassium)
How to apply
N:Generally ,apply in splits of more than2.best applied 3 weeks after transplanting, a second application at the start of flowering s beneficial,but not when fruits are forming because it promotes vegetative growth (Rem.Nobody sells/buys tomato leaves)
P:Applied or proper root development,fruit set, fruit quality, peel color, pulp color and the quality contents
K:deficiency leads to ripening disorders .it is also important for fruit keeping quality. Apply fertilizers witha high K few weeks before flowering and during flowering to fruiting stage.(Foliar fertilizers do well)
Calcium and Magnesium: Low ca & high Mg in soil leads to blossom end rot.
C}TRAINING/STAKING
Applies mainly to indeterminate type. removal of suckers(desuckering) PRUNING IS ALSO DONE REGULARLY-removal of leaves especially those which are touching the ground(prune by cutting outside shoots as early as possible,leaving two main stems)
Flowering: tomatoes flower 5-7 weeks after sowing
MATURITY: A tomato fruit takes 6-8 weeks to mature
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