MARIMBA LEARNING CENTRE - TOMATO PRODUCTION .pptx

TOMATO.pptx

1. MARIMBA LEARNING CENTRE ( MERU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ) RICHARD M. KIRIGIAH REGINA ITHILI

2. Factors considered when selecting greenhouse tomato varieties P lant growth habit: indeterminate materials R equired fruit size based on market segment Yield indicators, including speed of cluster development, Number of flowers on a cluster, Number of flowers setting into fruit / Percentage of setting. Maturity period Production period Flavor attributes Non skin cracking varieties D isease and pest resistance H eat tolerant varieties L ight sensitivity CHOICE OF TOMATO VARIETIES

3. Tylka F1 Yield – 70 -80 ton/Acre Production period: 4-6 months Indeterminate type Maturity period 75 days Shelf life 21 days Sweet taste Grown in both GH and open field Firm skin Disease resistance -TYLCV -TMV - Fusarium crown and root rot - Verticillium & Fusarium wilt - Nematodes Varieties

4. Raised in the nursery on plastic trays. Tomato transplants should be started in a separate transplant house, growth room, or growth chamber. T ransplants can be started in soilless media like peatmix . Put the media in the trays Sow the seed: one seed per tray cell. Cover the seeds; however, a thin covering of perlite or vermiculite might aid in wetting the seed and improving uniformity of emergence . Sowing 10 to 15% extra seeds to replace unhealthy or damaged seedlings Regular w atering with plain water adjusted to pH 6.0. The trays should be placed on a bench in the germination area . Labelling : trays should be labeled showing seeding date and variety. Control weeds, pests and diseases as they arise. Hardening off. TOMATO NURSERY BED

5. Transplanting : transplant 3 to 4 weeks after planting. Spacing : 100 cm X 45 cm. (soil bed planting) Weed control : by uprooting. Training : require continuous pruning and training to the trellis system as they are indeterminate type. Trellising should be done using strong plastic or polypropylene twine Pruning of all lateral branches (suckers) as they develop to encourage a single leader. Done on a frequent schedule (every 3 to 4 days) so that only small side shoots are removed. Pruning is best done early in the day when plants are turgid but dry. Pruned material should be placed in a container or bag and removed from the green . Cluster Thinning : This is done to reduce the number of fruits from 10 to 8 per cluster to improve fruit size and quality (uniform in size and age). Also cracked fruits and misshapen fruits . Field management

6. Fertilizer application : Fertilize the crop by the parts per million ( ppm ) method ( fertigation ). Irrigation : Greenhouse tomatoes require large amounts of water ( drip irrigation) Leaf pruning : Removal of old leaves from the lower part of the plant to improve air movement under the plants and to make the growing plants easier to manage. Temperature Control: Tomatoes grow and yield best when night temperatures are 17.7 °C to 22.2°Cand day temperatures are about 26.7°C to 29.4°C. Ventilation and cooling are needed for tomatoes to reduce heat scalding on fruits. Cooling methods : Opening of curtains, use of exhaust fans and evaporative cooling pads. Field management cont..

7. Maturity index : harvested when at least 30  percent, but no more than 60 percent, of the fruit surface is a pink-red colour . Harvesting staff must adopt good hygienic practices with clean hands and avoid making cuts in the product. All products must be handled gently to avoid surface damage. Harvesting tools (knives, scissors, secateurs) tools must be clean, sharp and well maintained to minimize injury . They should be rinsed regularly to avoid cross contamination of any diseases . Harvesting time: when air temperature is low Pre-cooling is done to remove field heat and suppress respiration: Passive (room ), Forced air (or pressure ), Vacuum, Hydrocooling and Ice cooling methods. Harvesting and post harvest handling

8. Sorting Grading Cleaning : Use clean water and approved sanitizers; worker hygiene must be maintained. Waxing: Improves fruit appearance and reduce weight loss. Packing : (1) Any package or container is that it must allow rapid and unimpeded air ventilation during cooling and storage (2)Must meet the needs of the buyer and customer: Fibreboard trays, reusable plastic crates or trays, Polymeric films etc. Storage : Temperature 8-10 C and Humidity 90-95% storage life 0f 4-7 days Transportation . (1) Short transit journeys use non-refrigerated “ cooltainers ” or canvassided trucks (2) long transit journeys use refrigerated container Markets : open air markets, super markets, Harvesting and post harvest handling

9. THANK YOU