MANAGAMENT OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS

1. MANAGAMENT OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS TOMATO PRODUCTION QUALIFICATION:NTA LEVEL 5-Technician certificate in general agriculture CODE: GAT 05105 Number of credits; 12 TUTOR NAME;MICHAELYORAM.

2. ORIGIN • Although tomatoes are often closely associated with Italian cuisine, they are actually originally native to the western side of South America, in the region occupied by Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and the western half of Bolivia. • Tomato, is today the most popular garden vegetable in America • Tomatoes are usually easy to grow and a few plants provide an adequate harvest for most families. • The quality of fruit picked in the garden when fully ripe far surpasses anything available on the market, even in season. • The tomato plant is a tender, warm-season perennial that is grown as an annual in summer gardens all over the continental United States.

3. INTRODUCTION • Today tomatoes are enjoyed worldwide—to the tune of about 130 million tons per year. The largest tomato-producing country is China (with approximately 34 million tons of production), followed by the United States, Turkey, India, and Italy. • Spring and fall freezes limit the outdoor growing season. • Tomatoes are America’s favorite garden vegetable. (Yes, we technically eat the fruit of the tomato plant, but it's used as a vegetable in eating and cooking and, thus, usually categorized in vegetables.) • This vine plant is fairly easy to grow and will produce a bumper crop with proper care. Its uses are versatile, however, tomatoes are susceptible to a range of pests and diseases.

4. INTRODUCTION CONT………….. • In Tanzania tomato are cultivated much in Morogoro, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, Iringa, Dodoma, Pwani, Tangae.t.c

5. INTRODUCTION CONT…………..

6. INTRODUCTION CONT………….. • There are literally hundreds of different tomato varieties. We usually choose our favorite varieties by some combination of flavor, texture, and appearance • Specific antioxidant nutrients found in tomatoes, whole tomato extracts, and overall dietary intake of tomatoes have all been associated with antioxidant protection. • Sometimes this protection comes in the form of better antioxidant enzyme function

7. BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION • Tomato is one of the most vegetable crops of Tanzania as well as of the whole world. • Kingdom - Plantae • Genus - Solanum • Family - Solanaceae • Scientific name - Lycopersiconesculentum • Origin - South and central America • Common name - Tomato

8. PLANT DESCRIPTION • Much branches. • Feather leaves • Flower clustered • Yellow/red fruits • Spherical in shape • Size of fruits is 1.5-7.5cm across • Herbaceous plant and growth annually. • Drooping leaves

9. ECOLOGICAL REQUIREMENT CLIMATE (a)Altitude -tomatoes grow best in altitude between 400 – 1900 m.a.s.l (b) Temperature -Tomato perform well in temperature between 18 – 300C -High temperature course low number of branches also high temperatures with low light with humidity condition causes diseases. -

10. Temperature cont………….. • Also low temperatures lead to ; (a) too much branches with small fruits which mature late. (b) Delay seed germination (c) Reduce fruit sets (d) Inhibit vegetative development (e) Inhibit the development of normal fruit colour

11. CLIMATE CONT…………………… (c) Soil -Tomatoes require deep soil and well drained soil, loamy rich in humus and mineral nutrients. -It grows well on soil pH 5 – 6.8 optimal. (d) Rainfall -Need well distributed rainfall , too much can cause fungal diseases -but requires enough moisture especially at fruiting time. Drought can lead to blossom end rot.

12. LAND PREPARATION • Land is prepared 2 weeks in advance so tilling the soil clods take place. • Ploughing depth 20 – 25 cm or 30cm mix with organic matters one tin per m2. • Use also green manure (Sunhemp) – Critalariaspectabilis

13. Sowing/planting • -Establish in a nursery. Seed rate 250gm/ha. 100gm/acre and 5gm/100m2 • Nursery spacing is about 10 – 15 cm between rows

14. NURSERY PREPARATION • Seeds are sown in the nursery then transplanted into the main field. • Seedbeds is prepared 1-1.5m wide with any desirable length. • Seedbed must be prepared in fine tilth and mix with manure. • Water the beds prior sown • Apply mulch after sowing

15. NURSERY PREPARATION cont………….. • The distance from one drill to another is 10-15cm. • Continue watering thus morning and evening lates • The seedlings are takes 3-4 weeks in the nursery.

16. TRANSPLANTING • Is the process of removing the plant s/seedlings from the nursery to the main field for more production. • Transplanting of tomato is done 3-4 weeks after sowing. • Transplant when the plant reach 10-15cm high • During transplanting select health/strong plants from the nursery.

17. TRANSPLANTING • Transfer the seedlings with the soil attachments. • Transfer during cloud condition OR during morning and evening late. • SPACING, 60 cm x 60 cm 90 cm x 50 cm 75 cm x 50-60cm 60 cm x 40 cm

18. Importance and use of tomatoes (a) Contain vitamine A, B and C and minerals (b) Eaten raw or cooked in soups and stein (c) Canned into drinks (juice), Jam, Pree, Pickles and powder (d) Left over as animal feed (e) Fertilizers (composition materials)

19. TOMATO VALUES vitaminC-32.8%,  biotin-24% molybdenum20% , vitamin K-15.8% , copper-12.2% , potassium-12.1% , manganese-10.5% , fiber-8.6% , vitamin A-8.3% , vitamin B6-8.2% , folate-6.7% , vitamin B3-6.6% , vitamin E-6.4% , phosphorus6.1% ,vitamin B1-5.8% , magnesium-4.9% , chromium-3.6% , pantothenic acid-3.2% , protein-3.1% ,choline-2.8% ,zinc-2.8% , iron-2.7%

20. VARIETIES OF TOMATO • Hundreds of varieties of tomatoes are now available for the home gardener. • They range widely in size, shape, color, plant type, disease resistance and season of maturity. Catalogs, garden centers and greenhouses offer a large selection of tomato varieties and choosing the best one or two varieties can be extremely difficult. • Evaluate your needs, then choose the varieties best suited to your intended use and method of culture.

21. VARIETIES OF TOMATO cont…… • The common varieties which Tanzania are; -Tanya, Tengeru, Anna f1, Eden f1, Onyx, Assila f1, Tanzanite f1, Mandel, Roma (ve), moneymaker, Manglobe Beef master, e.t.c

22. Botany and varieties • Tomato plants have different growth habit of which it is based in their classification into 3 groups as follows; • Determinate type: These are bush tomatoes. The plants grow for a definite period of time and produce flowers and fruits and complete the life cycle. The best examples of these varieties are Tanya, Roma,Cal-J, Amateur and Rossol • Indeterminate type: Plant keep growing and produce flowers and fruits for more or less indefinite period of time. These varieties produce long vine, which may sometimes be about a couple of meters long. The best example are Tengeru 97, Moneymaker and marglobe • Intermediate type: These varieties have the characteristics between the determinate and indeterminate one. The best Example are marmande and Floradade

23. Spacing • Indeterminate type – with staking 40 – 50(cm) plant to plant and 70 – 90(cm) Row to row or 75x75cm and 75 x50 – 60 cm with plant population 220 – 275/100m2 and 18,000 – 22,000 plants/ha • Determinate type - Need no staking 50 – 80plant to plant (cm) 70 – 90 Row to row (cm) or most used 60x50cm or 50x50cm with plant population 240 – 275 /100m2 or 20,000 -22,000plant/ha

24. Management of crop (a)Weed control: weed can be controlled by using hand hoe this ensure no roots are destroyed or can be done by mulching or application of herbicides (b) Training and pruning – 2 -3 weeks after transplanting apply stake. Tie below the leaf but not below the truss. Sisal twines and banana fiber are the materials used to tie the plants to the stakes. Whenever possible, Bamboo stakes should be used for this purposes.   -Indeterminate tomatoes varieties produce better quality fruit and seed when staked and de-suckered. (c)Desuckering -is the removal of the lateral shoots which appear directly from the main stem between the leaf axis. - Desucker every 7 – 10 days for tall cultivars use free hand not knife to avoid spread of pathogen. -Remove leaves around the ground to avoid disease spread and ensure light panetration,also pest hiding .

25. Management of crop cont……….. (d)Defoliation: Remove all the diseased leaves, insect pest damage, and the 2 (two) – 3 (three) below first trees those are older ones (e)Topping: Removal of the growing tip to facilitate lateral shoots for tall cultivars at six trays (f) Irrigation: Ensure that all the time there is enough moisture but at fruiting time moisture should not miss. Care should be taken to avoid bacterial canker and blossom-end rot problems, which may arise due to irregular water supply

26. Management of crop cont……….. (g) Application of fertilizer and manure: Tomato is a heavy feeder so require adequate soil levels of nitrogen, Phosphorus and potassium. In Tanzania the NPK recommended for tomato is 120:50:50 Kg/ha. Basal and 2kg of Organic maters well decomposed in prepared holes can be applied. Nitrogen is applied as top dressing which is split in 3 times as follows: • During 2 – 4 weeks after transplanting – 1.25gm/100m2 • During first truss of glosson appearance – 1.0 gm • During the first cluster of fruits ripening -0.75 gm N:B, Blanket rate 5gm/plant by ring method

27. Management of crop cont……….. (h) Stalking; the process of supporting the plant by using one or more pole(s) as it grow vertically (support the plant vertically) by; -Push the stalk 2m long firmly in the soil -Then tie the plant loose by using a string/rope by using eight manner method. -This improve the plant, reduce diseases incidence and also enhance eanly fruit set.

28. Stalking cont……………………

29. INSECT PEST AND DISEASES CONTROL INSECT PEST. • American boll warm (Helcoverpaarmigera) – Bores round/circular holes causing fruit to rot. -To control spray with carbaryl, Karate and Dimethoate in weekly basis, Destroy of crop remain. (b)  Whiteflies ( Bemissiatabaci): it is a vector of virus diseases. They suck the sap from the leaves as the result diseases arise like Yellow leaf curl virus and leaf roll. Serious during dry hot period. -To control the pest. Destroy volunteer plants and crop remains after harvesting, rogue infested plants early in the season, destroy weed in the field and surrounding area, avoid planting new fields close to old infected crops of tomato, spray Dimethioate, selecronsumicidia and rogortwice a week to kill the vector

30. INSECT PEST CONT…………………. (c) Cut worms (Agrotisspp): Larva feeds at night, during the day furrow into the soil. It is brown in colour. -To control spread ash at planting time or dust around, remove all the larva by hand after damage and gape fill, Early cultivation which expose the larva to predator. (d) Army worm (Spodopteralitoralis): They resemble cut worms morphologically but have dark brown pre wings with white hind wings but unlike cut worms they have brown abdomen. Damage as American boll worms, -control spray with carbaryl, Karate and Dimethoate in weekly basis, Destroy of crop remain.

31. INSECT PEST CONT…………………. (e) Root knot nematodes (Meloidogynespp), Attack plants from the roots causing the whole plant to wilt during hot weather and die, swellings (galls) on the roots, foliage of affected plants looks pale, stunting of plant, cause fruit to ripen before proper maturity. -To control apply crop rotations with non host crops, sterilization of seed beds using plastics, fumigation with Ethylene dibromine, use resistant varieties such as Tengeru 97. (f) Red Spider mites (TetranychusSpp); The damage occur on leaves, leaves turn yellow, curling later drying after sucking. -To control avoid frequent sprays with synthetic pyrethroids, water plant adequately, weed crop thoroughly, avoid planting during period of heavy infestations, apply mitecides such as folimator dimethoateperepal

32. DISEASES (1) Blight – fungal diseases (a)Late blight ( Phytophthorainfestans) (b)Early blight (Alternariasolani) (a) Late blight • Symptoms – Small brown or purplish – black lesions on foliage, leaflets, stem and fruits. White fungal growth on underside. -To control avoid planting tomatoes after potatoes, Avoid diseased seedlings, remove excess sucker and old leaves to ensure air circulation, weeding, use recommended fungicide (b) Early blight • Symptoms – Dark brown circular spots with concentric rings on the leaves. Similar spots may be observed on stems petioles and fruits. On stems it is elongate. -Disease is spread by seed, wind, rain and infected plant material. -To control use crop rotation, sanitation, fungicide like Dithane M45, Ridomil, treat seeds with thiram 3g/kg of seed, use mulch, use tolerant varieties, removal affected plants.

33. DISEASES CONT…………………… (2) Bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas solanacearum) – symptoms are rapid wilting of foliage, stunting growth and leaf lets and leaf stack curl down ward, Brown discoloration of the water conducting tissue. -To control use disease free soil for seedbeds, avoid excess amounts of nitrogenous fertilizer, use tolerant curtivars (3) Fusarium wilt (Fusariumoxysporum) – symptom are yellow leaves, wilting of the plant at too much sun day, brown discoloration at base of the stem. -To control plant tolerant curtivars Roma VFM, uproot the affected plant and burnt, use fungicide spray – topsin M.70

34. DISEASES CONT…………………… (4) Tomato Mosaic virus (TMV) – symptom are light and dark green mottling of foliage with curling and malformation of leaflets, fern – like appearance of leaflets in several cases. -To control use crop rotation, diseases free seed, removal of infected plants, destroy old crops, rogue out plants affected, spray to kill the vector. (5) Other diseases are, (a) Rhizopus rot, (b) powdery mildew, (c) Tomato yellow Leaf curl virus (TYLCV).

35. DISORDERS – non pathogenic disease • Blossom end rot – Is a physiological disease wide spread when there is irregular watering and calcium deficiency, also on salt affected soil with acidic condition. -Symptoms are rotting of fruits at the bottom (sunken spots), water soaked at the place where rotting had occurred. -To control regular watering, apply CAN, liming (apply lime) and avoid excessive nitrogenous fertilizers. (b) Fruit cracking/ splitting (c) Round shape – if the plant cavity get enough water at tool much sunny time. This water in the fruit can’t colarate with the water getting lost in the atmosphere (d) Star shape – when there is too much moisture at the same time the atmosphere is also wet.

36. HARVESTING • Tomatoes should be firm and fully colored. • They are of highest quality when they ripen on healthy vines and daily summer temperatures average about 75°F. • When temperatures are high (air temperature of 90°F or more), the softening process is accelerated and color development is retarded, reducing quality. For this reason, during hot summer weather, pick your tomatoes every day or two, • harvest the fruits when color has started to develop and ripen them further indoors (at 70 to 75°F). On the day before a killing freeze is expected, • harvest all green mature fruit that is desired for later use in the fall. Wrap the tomatoes individually in paper and store at 60 to 65°F. They continue to ripen slowly over the next several weeks. • Whole plants may be uprooted and hung in sheltered locations, where fruit continues to ripen.

37. HARVESTING cont……………. • CATEGORIES OF HARVESTING (a) Very early varieties……..45-60 days (b) Early varieties……………..50-60 days (c) Middle varieties………….70-80 days (d) Late varieties………………70-90 days

38. STORAGE • Leave your tomatoes on the vine as long as possible. If any fall off before they appear ripe, place them in a paper bag with the stem up and store them in a cool, dark place. • Never place tomatoes on a sunny windowsill to ripen; they may rot before they are ripe! • The perfect tomato for picking will be firm and very red in color, regardless of size, with perhaps some yellow remaining around the stem. A ripe tomato will be only slightly soft. • If your tomato plant still has fruit when the first hard frost threatens, pull up the entire plant and hang it upside down in the basement or garage. Pick tomatoes as they redden. • Never refrigerate fresh tomatoes. Doing so spoils the flavor and texture that make up that garden tomato taste. • To freeze, core fresh unblemished tomatoes and place them whole in freezer bags or containers. Seal, label, and freeze. The skins will slip off when they defrost