Tomato crop have good economic value as major fresh vegetable and in processing.

1. Introduction • Tomato crop have good economic value as major fresh vegetable and in processing. • Healthy Tomato seedlings are main factor in producing bumper and good quality yield. • To produce healthy tomato seedlings, effective and eco-friendly management of pests, diseases and weeds is necessary. Healthy Seedlings of Tomato Healthy Seedlings of Tomato

2. Pests Management Leaf miner: • Larvae of leaf miner creates white colored zigzag lines / mines in leaf lamina tissues. • Injuries made by leaf miner leads to reduced photosynthesis and secondary fungal and bacterial infections. Management: • Leaf Miner can be managed by Collection and destruction of infested leaves. • Spraying 5 % Neem Seed Kernel Extract or Trizophos @ 20 ml/10 liter water or Metasystox @ 15 ml/10 liter water. Infestation of leaf miner Larvae of Leaf miner

3. White Fly: • White flies are small in size and white in color. • Nymphs and adults of whitefly suck the cell sap from leaves. • Heavy infestation of white flies causes yellowing and chlorosis of leaves. • Adults secrete honeydew like sweet substance on which black sooty mould grows. • White flies acts as disease vector for transmission of Tomato Leaf Curl Virus (TLCV). Infestation is predominant in summer season. Whitefly Black sooty mould growth on leaf

4. Management of Whitefly: • Conservative and Judicious use of nitrogenous fertilizers and irrigation in nursery. Use of yellow sticky trap to attract adults and Spraying of 5 % Neem Seed Kernel Extract on seedlings. • Seed treatment with thiamethoxam 70 % @ 4.2 gm or imidachlopride 70 % WS @ 7.5 gm/kg seed and Nursery bed treatment with carbofuran 3-5 gm/sq. m. area • Drenching with Imidachlopride 17.8 SL @ 6 ml/10 liter water and Spraying Imidachlopride 17.8 SL @ 3 ml or methyl demeton 25 EC @20 ml/10 liter water.

5. Diseases Management Damping Off disease • It occurs in pre-emergence and post-emergence phases of seedling. • In pre-emergence phase, seedlings die and rot before they reach the bed surface. • In post-emergence phase, the collar of juvenile seedling becomes soft and water soaked and infected seedlings collapse. Post emergence phase of damping off disease.

6. Management of Damping Off Soil Treatment bySoil Solarization: • Wet the soil with water in May-June months, spread 200 gauge white polythene on nursery area for 5-6 weeks. • After 5-6 weeks, remove polythene sheet and prepare the beds for seed sowing. Soil Solariazation by Polythene Paper

7. Formalin Solution Treatment • Drench the nursery soil with 1.5 to 2 % formalin solution and cover drenched area with 200 gauge polythene sheet. Seal the edges of polythene sheet with wet soil for effective sterilization. Do this 15-20 days before sowing. • Remove the polythene cover after 15 days and prepare the beds for seed sowing. Application of Formalin Cover soil after Formalin application

8. Diseases Management Application of Fungicides/Bio-fungicides: • Fungicides like Captan or Thiram are applied @ 5-6 gm /sq. m. nursery bed. • Bio-fungicide like Trichoderma viride @ 3 gm /sq. m. is mixed with FYM or media of nursery bed. Seed Treatment • Seed treatment with fungal culture Trichoderma viride @ 4 gm/kg of seed) or Thiram @ 3 gm/kg of seed. Post Germination: • Soil drenching with Dithane M-45 or Copper oxychloride @ 3 gm/liter water.

9. Weed control • Spray pre emergence herbicide like Stomp @ 3 ml/liter water on the nursery beds after seed sowing. • Seed should be covered with a mixture of FYM, soil and sand. • Timely weeding in nursery is very important to grow healthy seedling. Weed in Tomato Seedling Weed free Tomato Seedlings