Tomato Cultivation in India: Best Practices and Crop Calendar

Tomato is one of the most popular and widely grown vegetables in India. It is a day-neutral plant and can be grown throughout the year depending on the climate and region. Tomato is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and has many uses in the kitchen and in the industry.

In this blog post, we will discuss some of the best practices and crop calendar for tomato cultivation in India, based on various sources and references.

Best Practices for Tomato Cultivation

• Choose a well-drained loamy soil rich in organic matter with a pH range of 6.5-7.5. Avoid waterlogged soils as they can cause root rot and bacterial wilt.
• Select improved varieties or hybrids that are suitable for your region, season and market. Some of the popular varieties/hybrids are Kashi Vishesh, Arka Alok, COTH 1, COTH 2, TNAU Tomato Hybrid CO 3, PKM 1, CO 1, CO 2, CO 3 and Paiyur 1. These varieties/hybrids have different characteristics such as yield potential, fruit size, shape, color, firmness, disease resistance, etc.
• Prepare raised nursery beds with organic manure, neem cake, biofertilizers and pesticides before sowing. Sow the seeds at a depth of 0.25 inches and at a distance of 10 cm apart. Cover the seeds with sand and water regularly. You can also use a protected nursery with shade net and insect proof net for better germination and seedling growth.
• Transplant the seedlings when they are 25-30 days old or have 4-5 true leaves. Use a spacing of 30 x 60 cm for determinate varieties and 45 x 75 cm for indeterminate varieties. Apply organic manure, biofertilizers and pesticides at the time of transplanting.
• Provide adequate irrigation according to the soil moisture and climatic conditions. Avoid water stress and excess watering as they can affect the plant growth and fruit quality. Use drip irrigation or furrow irrigation for water conservation and weed control.
• Apply balanced doses of fertilizers according to the soil test results and crop requirement. A general recommendation is to apply 100 kg of nitrogen (N), 50 kg of phosphorus (P) and 50 kg of potassium (K) per hectare in split doses. Apply half of N and full dose of P and K as basal dose before transplanting. Apply the remaining N in three equal doses at 30, 60 and 90 days after transplanting.
• Control weeds by regular hoeing, weeding and mulching. Mulching helps in conserving soil moisture, preventing soil erosion, suppressing weeds and improving soil fertility.
• Protect the plants from pests and diseases by adopting integrated pest management (IPM) practices. Some of the common pests and diseases of tomato are aphids, whiteflies, leaf miners, fruit borers, leaf curl virus, bacterial wilt, early blight, late blight, etc. Use resistant varieties/hybrids, healthy seedlings, crop rotation, intercropping, biological control agents, botanical pesticides and chemical pesticides as per need.
• Harvest the fruits when they are fully ripe or as per the market demand. The maturity of fruits depends on the variety/hybrid, season and climatic conditions. Generally, tomato fruits take 110-115 days to mature from sowing. Harvest the fruits carefully to avoid bruising and damage. Sort, grade and pack the fruits in suitable containers for transportation and storage.

Crop Calendar for Tomato Cultivation

The crop calendar for tomato cultivation varies from region to region depending on the climate and season. Here is a general crop calendar for tomato cultivation in India:

References

: Package of Practices for Tomato Cultivation - ICAR

Horticulture :: Vegetables::Tomato - Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

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