The Blossoms of Tomatoes: Tomato Farming in India

Table of Content

• An Introduction to Tomato Farming in India
• Which are the Top Tomato Varieties in India?
• How To Do Tomato Cultivation in India?
  • Soil & Climate Requirement
  • Land Preparation
  • Plantation
  • Irrigation
  • Manure and Fertilizer Management
  • Cultural Practices
  • Pest and Disease Management
  • Harvesting and Yield
• Which Are the Top Tomato Production States in India?

An Introduction to Tomato Farming in India

A tomato is an edible berry in the Solanaceae family, and after the potato, it’s the second most important vegetable crop in India. Its scientific name is Solanum Lycopersicum. Tomato is a rich source of vitamin C, A, Potassium and minerals. Also, it is used in soap, ketchup, and powder.

As per the data published by APEDA for 2023-24, the total tomato production in India is 21,323.28 thousand tonnes. The highest tomato-producing states in India are Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Odisha. These states account for about 90% of total tomato production in the country.

Which Are the Top Tomato Varieties in India?

The popular tomato varieties in India include high-yielding hybrids like:

• Vaishali
• Rupali
• Pusa Ruby
• Pusa Early Dwarf
• Arka Vikas
• Rashmi
• Rajni
• Pant T3
• Arka Alok

How To Do Tomato Cultivation in India?

The process of organic tomato farming includes several steps, which start from assessing the soil and climate, applying adequate irrigation, timely harvesting, and more. Let's check the process of tomato cultivation in detail:

Soil & Climate Requirement

Tomatoes can be grown on a wide variety of soils, from light sandy to heavy clay. The soil with rich organic matter, high water holding capacity, and fertility with a pH range from 6 to 7 is ideal. Tomato is a warm season crops and cannot withstand frost or high humidity. It requires low to medium rainfall.

The ideal temperature for the color and the quality of the fruit ranges from 15 – 20°Celsius. Temperatures above 32°Celsius can adversely affect the fruit set and development, while temperatures below 10 °C can affect the plant's tissues and lead to psychological activities. The bright sunshine helps in achieving the deep red color of the fruit.

Land Preparation

Land preparation is the first step before planting tomatoes. Land preparation consists of proper grading (particularly if furrow irrigation is used), subsoiling to break up compacted layers, levelling, and final bed preparation. The levelled land is required for plantation of tomatoes. The field is ploughed to fine tilth by four to five times with an interval between ploughings. Well-decomposed FYM (25 tonnes/hectare) is thoroughly incorporated at the time of land preparation.

Plantation

Spacing of plants depends upon the type of variety grown and the season of planting crops. Usually, seedlings are transplanted at a spacing of 75-90 x 45-60 cm. In light soils, seedlings are transplanted in furrows, while they are transplanted on the side of the ridges in heavy soils. A pre-soaking irrigation is given 3-4 days prior to transplanting. Evening is the most preferable time for transplanting.

Irrigation

Irrigation is an essential step of tomato farming techniques to produce consistent yields of high-quality tomatoes. During the summer season, irrigation at every 3 to 4 days interval is necessary, whereas for the winter and spring season crops, a 10 to 15 days interval is sufficient. Subsequent irrigations are given according to the needs of the crop.

Manure and Fertilizer Management

The fertilizer dose depends on the soil fertility. 15-20 tonnes of well-decomposed FYM (Farmyard Manure) are incorporated into the soil to get a good yield. Generally, the proportions of NPK are as follows:

• Application of 120 kg N, 80 kg P2O5 and 50 kg K2O per hectare is recommended for getting the optimum yield.
• Half a dose of N and a full dose of P and K are given at the time of planting.
• The remaining half of N is given as top dressing 30 days after transplanting.

Cultural Practices

• Crop Rotation - Tomato should not be grown successively on the same field, and a break of at least one year is required between planting of tomatoes.
• Intercropping - Tomato is well fitted in different cropping systems of cereals, grains, pulses, oilseeds, and vegetable crops, such as okra. Cropping systems rice-tomato, rice-maize, okra-potato-tomato, tomato-onion are popular in various parts of India.
• Weed Management - Weeds should be controlled in tomato crops because they compete for light, water, and nutrients. Sometimes they host tomato diseases, such as the tomato yellow leaf curl virus.
• Staking - Staking is necessary due to the tall habit and heavy bearing nature of the hybrids. It helps in maintaining the quality of the fruits. It is done 2-3 weeks after transplanting. It can be done either by wooden stakes or by laying overhead wires to which the individual plant is tied.
• Pruning - It is the selective removal of side shoots to limit plant growth. It can cause fruit to mature earlier and grow to a greater size. It improves air circulation within the canopy, which reduces foliar diseases, and eases spraying and harvesting.

Pest and Disease Management

Fruit Borer (Helicoverpa armigera): Females lay eggs on the flowers, and Larvae feed on the leaves, which are the main symptoms. It can be controlled by spraying Bacillus thuringiensis at 2g/litre of water and growing 25-day-old tomato seedlings at 1:16 rows.

Thrips (Thrips tabaci): Curling leaves to a cup shape. To control this, keep blue sticky traps @ 6-8 per acre and Spray of Imidacloprid @1ml /ltr water.

White Fly (Bemisia tabaci): Sucks sap and transmits viruses. Control by using a yellow stick trap for early attack detection and using a nylon net for covering the crop.

Tomato Leaf Curl Virus: Transmitted by whiteflies, causing stunted, curled yellow leaves. This disease can be managed by Spraying Imidachloprid 0.05 % or Dimethoate 0.05% @ 15, 25, 45 days after transplanting to control vectors.

Bacterial Wilt (Burkholderia solanacearum): A white streak of bacterial ooze is seen coming out from the cut ends when cut and immersed in water. This disease can be controlled by applying bleaching powder @ 10kg/ha and avoiding planting in contaminated soil.

Harvesting and Yield

The fruits are ready for first picking within 60-70 days after transplanting, depending upon the variety. The following are the stages of harvesting:

• Dark Green Color- The color of the fruit changes from green to reddish pink. This means the fruit that is shipped is ready to be harvested. Such fruits are then sprayed with ethylene 48 hours prior to shipping. Slice a tomato with a knife to examine the maturity. If seeds are cut, the fruit is too immature for harvest and will not ripen properly.
• Breaker Stage- Light pink color appears on 1/4th part of the tomato. Fruits are harvested at this stage to ensure the best quality. Such fruit is less prone to damage during shipment and often fetches a higher price than less mature tomatoes.
• Pink Stage- Pink color is observed on the 3/4th part of the fruit.
• Reddish Pink- The whole fruit turns reddish pink. This is ready to harvest for the local sale.
• Fully Riped - Fruits are fully ripe and soft and have a dark red color. Such fruits are used for processing.

Which are the Top Tomato Producing States in India?

According to APEDA, in the year 2023–24, Madhya Pradesh is the highest tomato producing state in India. Below is the state-wise production data of tomato cultivation in India: