PROTECTED CULTIVATION OF TOMATO

Introduction, varieties, types, interculatural operations, harvest, pest and diseases, physiological disorders and case study

1. -Plasticulture
Submitted by
S.ADHIYAMAAN (2017603401)
I-M.Sc. VEGETABLE SCIENCE
DEPT. OF VEGETABLE CROPS
HC & RI, TNAU, CBE.- 641 003

2. Greenhouse is framed structures covered with UV
stabilized plastic films in which crops are grown under
partially or controlled environment conditions.

3. Crops under shadenet house
33-35% shade net for
Olericulture

4. WHY NEED TO GO PROTECTED
CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES

5. Major GH vegetable production areas of the world
Source: Hickman 2011
Phytotron

6. Almería, Spain. It is also known as the "sea of plastic"
(Mar de plástico) due to the numerous greenhouses that
cover the area.

7. Furrows of artificial light lend an otherworldly aura to Westland, the greenhouse
capital of the Netherlands. Climate-controlled farms such as these grow crops
around the clock and in every kind of weather.

8. PROTECTED CULTIVATION OF TOMATO

9. In India tomato is grown in area of 8.085 lakhs ha with an yield of 19.7 million
MT and productivity of 24.4 t/ha. (2017, DAC & FW)
This yield level can be enhanced to a substantial level by growing hybrids and
adopting improved production practices in GH

Growing tomatoes in GH can further increase the yield & improve the quality
In addition to the quantum jump in yield and superior quality, substantial
reduction in use of pesticides makes it an eco-friendly proposition to grow
tomato in naturally ventilated GH round the year.
INTRODUCTION

10. IMPORTANCE OF GREEN HOUSE PRODUCTION
Greenhouse tomato production offers - to produce a marketable product at
times when supplies are low.
It increases the length of time tomatoes are available
Greenhouse tomatoes – sold at higher price than field tomatoes.
System offers profitable opportunities in the spring before field tomatoes are
harvested, and in the fall when field tomatoes have been depleted

11. Spring (February –March)
Plants set more fruit per plant
The heating cost is less
Light intensity and duration increase as outside temperatures increase,
making it less costly to heat and provide ventilation and humidity control. All
of these result in increased yields. Making spring production more profitable
than fall production

12. •CLIMATE
•Warm season crop (18 - 30
o
C)
•It needs high light, humidity, soil moisture and fertilizer.
•fruit setting is 16-22
o
C (night).
•Fruit set is affected – if temperature higher than 35°C
•VARIETIES
•Indeterminate type of big fruited tomatoes - R 144, FA 574, FA 180, GS
600, Delphi, Astona, Cronos, Syngenta - Him Sona, Him Shekha, Insona,
34774
•Cherry tomato HA818, NS Cherry 1, NS Cherry 2, T56, By Monsento
-Olleh, Raisy etc.,
Balraj singh et al. (2005).

13. SELECTION OF VARIETIES
Hybrids with indeterminate growth habit are suitable for GH cultivation
Hybrids growing to a height of 15 feet & above utilizing the vertical space in
the GH & having a yield potential of 170 t/ha & more from a crop of 6
months duration are best suited for GH cultivation (8-9 months)
Important considerations are size, shape and colour (red or pink), higher
shelf life, TSS.
High yields, freedom from cracking, russetting disease resistance, number of
fruits, and freedom from green shoulder
They must be able to set fruit well in the winter and summer

14. TYPES OF CULTIVARS
1.Beefsteak cultivars
2.Big fruited varieties
3.Cluster types
4.Cherry tomato

15. Varieties / Hybrids
1.Beefsteak cultivars = 180 – 250 g
Large size fruits, harvested individually with calyx
All European countries and USA
US cultivars – Trust and Match – high yielding & non green back
cultivars
 Susceptible to russeting
 Popular varieties of this group are – FA 574, FA – 180 and FA
514

16. 2. Big fruited varieties for GH
Israeli varieties – suitable for our country – northern parts
Average fruit weight - 120 – 160 g per fruit
Popular Israeli varieties - R – 144 (Daniela), FA – 189, FA 179
Indian varieties - Naveen, Nun 7711, N. S. 646, GC – 600, Arka
vardan and Arka Vishal
Fruits are harvested singly with calyx

17. 3. Hand types or Cluster types
 Harvested in clusters – 4 – 7 with cluster stem still attached –
indicator of freshness
All tomatoes in a cluster - breaker to ripe stage
Harvested clusters – marketed in a mesh bag, tray pack or in a
single layer box
Cluster tomato cultivars - HA 646, FA -556, FA- 521
Harvesting within the cluster – is an advantage

18. 4. Cherry tomato
Very small in size – with a fruit weight of 12 – 20g with high TSS
(6.8 – 7.0%)
BR – 124, HA – 818 popular from Israel
T- 56 – is available in India but the fruits are bigger in size and
grown both open and in green house conditions

19. There are two periods for economically growing greenhouse tomatoes
1.Spring
For spring production, time the crop to transplant in the greenhouse in
late February or early March
2.Fall (Autumn)
Fall tomatoes if plants are transplanted to the greenhouse by Mid - August

20. NURSERY
Seedlings are raised in seedling trays placed inside a net house or polyhouse
Vermicompost + sand (1:1) or well decomposed, nutrient enriched and
sterilized cocopeat is used as the growing medium
98 cell seedling trays made of polypropylene material with drainage holes are
used for seedling production
Trays are filled with the growing medium & tapped gently to fill the cells
properly
Seedling tray are drenched using copper oxy chloride solution (3g/l)
Shallow depression of 5 mm depth are made in each cell

21. Seeds treated with captan (0.2 g/100 g seed) are sown one per cell, covered
with a thin layer of the above growing medium and watered lightly with rose
can
Filled trays are staked one above the other and covered with plastic sheet to
create warmth and humidity required for germination
Seed germinate in 3 to 4 days after sowing
Trays are shifted to a net house or a polyhouse and placed on the raised bed,
covered with a plastic sheet immediately after germination
Trays are watered twice a day to maintain appropriate moisture

22. Seedlings are drenched with 0.2% 19:19:19 + trace elements at 15 days
after germination
Seedlings are sprayed using Acephate (0.75 g/L) to prevent infection by
thrips
Hardened by exposing them gradually to sunlight and by reducing the
frequency of watering
Ready for planting after 25 to 30 days after sowing
20 g seed is required for 1000 m
2
of GH area

23. A raised bed is always preferred for planting of Tomato Cultivation.
 Well decomposed locally available organic manure at the rate of one
bamboo basket per square meter of the bed is added, mixed thoroughly and the
beds are leveled
In heavy soils – mixing sand upto 25 % is required to provide proper
aeration in the root zone
GROWING BED PREPARATION

24. DISINFECTING THE GROWING BEDS
Drenched with 4% formaldehyde (4 l / m
2
of the bed) & covered with a
polyethylene (400 gauge) sheet and all ventilators are closed
Four days after formaldehyde treatment – polyethylene cover is removed
The beds are raked repeatedly every day to remove the trapped
formaldehyde fumes completely prior to transplanting
After fumigation, the beds of following dimensions are prepared.
1. Top width - 90cm
2. Path width- 50 cm
3. Height - 40 cm

25. Application of Neem cake + Trichoderma
Neem cake is made into powder, slightly watered to moisten and kept for
two days & then mixed with Trichoderma formulation @ 1 kg / 100 kg
neem cake
Mixture is closed with a plastic sheet
For every two days the mixture is turned once
Applied after 15 days of formaldehyde fumes are exhausted completely
@ of 200 g /sq.m. of bed and mixed thoroughly
Fertilizer application
Commercial fertilizers supplying 50:50:50 NPK kg/ha – applied to
growing beds before fumigation
Two furrows are opened in the growing bed and the fertilizer mixture is
applied in the furrows and furrows are closed

26. LAYING OF DRIP LINE
Place one inline drip lateral at the center of the bed
Inline drip lateral should have an emitting point for every 30 cm interval
with a discharge of 2 liter of water per hour
Run the drip system to check each emitting points for uniform discharge of
water

27. MULCHING
100 – micron (400 gauge) thick
polyethylene mulch film of 1.2 m width is
used to cover the planting bed
Make holes of 5 cm diameter on the mulch
film as per the recommended spacing (60
cm x 45 cm)
Cover the planting beds with the mulch
film by securing the edges of the sheet &
burying in the soil

28. TRANSPLANTING
The seedlings of 05-06 weeks old are used for transplanting, depending on
temperature and light conditions during propagation. Ideal seedling size is
about 16 cm. 3000 seedlings are required for 1000 sq.m.
1) 40 cm between two plants
2) 50 cm between two rows
So spacing is 90 x 50 x 40 cm.
Water the beds to field capacity ( moist but not drip wet) before transplanting
1. Top width - 90cm
2. Path width- 50 cm
3. Height - 40 cm

29. Sprayed with Imidacloprid (0.3 ml/l) solution one day before transplanting
Drench the seedlings with carbendazim (0.1%) solution on the day of
planting in early morning hours
Transplant in the early morning or late evening
Planted in the holes made in the polythene mulch film so that the seedling do
not touch the mulch film
Watering the beds is done daily with rose can till the seedling get established
well
Foggers are run if the humidity is low
Beds are drenched with 0.3% copper oxy chloride if mortality of the seedling
are noticed

30. Drip irrigation starts 10 days after transplanting
It is given daily to supply 2 to 3 l of water /sq.m /day depending on the
local weather condition.
IRRIGATION

31. FERTIGATION
200:200:200 kg NPK/ha using water soluble fertilizers (WSF) is given
through fertigation for entire crop growth period
 Supply WSF 19% each of N,P,K @ of 3.75 g/m
2
for every fertigation –
twice a week – starting from third week after transplanting
Sprayed with micro nutreint formulation (3g/l) 2 to 3 times once in 30 days
starting from 60 days after transplanting
Crop is fertigated 2 to 3 times with calcium nitrate once in 15 days

32. Growth regulators:
•Spraying planofix 4 times @ 2.5 ml/10 litre of water at an interval of 15 days
from the initiation of first flowering is desirable to induce increased flowering
and fruit set.
Application of fertilizers:
•250:250:250 kg NPK/ha in 10 equal splits at a 10 days interval from the date
of transplanting through the drip irrigation system.
Gopinath et al. (2000)

33. SPECIAL INTERCULTURAL OPERATION
Stacking
Training
Prunning
Suckering
Topping
Fruit prunning
Truss hook
Artificial pollination

34. Staking
Staking or trellising tomato plants with bamboo poles, wood stakes, or
other sturdy material provides support and keeps the fruit and foliage off
the ground.
Staking can increase fruit yield and size, reduce fruit rot, easy spraying
and harvesting.
Opeña et al.,( 2001)

35. TRAINING
Each branch is trained along a separate plastic tube provided for the purpose
Branches are tied to the plastic tube with gunny twine so that the branches
do not break due to weight of the foliage & fruits
Tying starts from 4 weeks after planting at weekly interval usually along
with the prunning operation

37. Types of Training
Vertical
Arch
V – shape
S-Hook system
Lateral

38. Vertical
Training
The plants are allowed to reach the horizontal wires before being
stopped
Used in short term culture

39. Arch
Long duration crop or to maintain for longer days the plants
can be arched over the wires

40. V- Training
The plants are trained out alternatively in different
directions

41. S- hook system
More popular and involves the use of
16 gauge, S- hooks set 14 inch apart
Plants being supported so many
hooks along and dropped a hook as
the season progresses, so that the
plants are progressively layered
At the ends of the rows the plants are
turned on to the next row

42. Lateral training
The plants are trained at an angle of 35 - 40°, wide mesh or polypropylene
netting
The plants are tied on to the netting with small loops of string or wire /paper clips.

43. PRUNNING
Prunned to retain two stems per plant
Starts from 20 to 30 days after transplanting at weekly interval
The main stem of tomato plant branches into two after the first flower
cluster
Those two branches are retained and all others branches are removed
All the branches developing at the base of the stem also removed
Removal of excess fruits will also result in larger tomatoes at harvest that
can fetch good price.

44. A well-pruned indeterminate
tomato plant
Removes any foliage that touches

45. SUCKERING
Indeterminate growth habit suckers will develop between each compound
leaf and the stem.
These suckers are removed as they develop, leaving only the main stem as
a growing point.
Side shoots are usually not pruned until they are a few inches long, at
which time they are easier to distinguish from the main stem.

47. Six weeks before the anticipated crop termination date, the growing
point and small fruit clusters at the top of the plant are removed.
Fruit requires 7-8 weeks from anthesis to harvest so small fruit will
not have enough time to develop to maturity.
 Increase size of already-set fruit in the lower part of the plant.
TOPPING

48. FRUIT PRUNING
Small, undersized fruit at the end of a cluster (distal fruit) are always removed.

49. TRUSS HOOK
Grown under relatively low light conditions, the peduncles of the inflorescences (trusses)
are too weak to support the weight of fruit they bear and, are liable to bend or ‘kink’.

50. POLLINATION REQUIREMENT
Aided pollination - needed due to limited air movement and high humidity.
Bumble bees are the perfect pollinators, even under environmental stress
condition (i.e. under low and high temperature conditions).
Electric or battery -powered vibrators used to vibrate flowers cluster above
the area where they originate from the stem. The vibration will release
sufficient pollens necessary for pollination.
This practice is done twice a day (lO:OO AM to ll.OO AM and 2.0-3.0 PM).
 Flowers are vibrated or shaken every day. Air from a mistflower also has
found effective

51. POLLINATION
Bumble bees –
successful even under
stress condition

52. COOLING AND HEATING OF THE GREENHOUSES
Evaporative cooling system.
In northern plains cooling is done from September to October and April to
June months.
Quite effective humidity in atmosphere is below 40%.
Heating done from 15th of December to end of January, to increase the
temperature of the greenhouse during nights, the temperature can not fall
below 14
0
C.
Heating and cooling required - tomato crop for 10-12 months duration.

53. Harvesting and post harvest handling of fruits
First picking 75 to 85 days after transplanting.
Big tomato harvested singly with attached calyx
Summer months harvesting should be done in early morning or late evening
to avoid post harvest losses.
Cherry tomatoes are harvest with stems attached or some time singly with
attached calyx
Packed in containers of 400-500 gram capacity.
Fruits are harvested with the help of scissors at full mature (ripen stage)
stage.

54. Harvesting
 Yield - 250 to 300 tonnes of big size tomatoes
 150-200 tonnes of cherry tomatoes

55. •GRADING
•Tomatoes should be graded to different classes according to their size
and qualities. Grading is done manually by hand grading method.
•PACKAGING
•After grading fruits are packed in crates/CFB which is best suited for
tomato packing. Depending on the market, the box is either filled with
one variety, one grade, or mixed colour one grade.

56. Troubles
Major pests:
•white flies
•mites
•thrips
•leaf miner
•fruit borer
Major diseases:
•Powdery mildew,
•early blight,
•bacterial wilt
•fusarium wilt.

57. Insect proof nylon net (antivirus nets) of 40 to 50 mesh size to prevent
insects, White flies, thrips, aphids
Problem of mites, dicofol @ 2.0 ml/litre of water.
White flies or thrips - yellow and blue trappers are used for trapping of
such insects.
Control of root knot nematodes - Soil sterilization formaldehyde (37%)
one month before transplanting of the crop.
Plant protection in greenhouse tomatoes

58. Control measures:
•Apply bleaching powder @ 20 kg/ha to the soil about 10 days before
transplanting the seedlings to prevent bacterial wilt.
•Drenching the seed beds with bavistine(0.1%)/captan
(0.2%)/Chlorothalonil (Kovach) (0.2%) helps in controlling soil born
diseases like fusarial wilt, collar rot and damping off.
•Spray Monocrotophos(1.5 ml/L) Dicofol (1.5ml/L) wettable sulphur (3g/L)
to control white flies, leaf minor, fruit borer, thrips, and mites, respectively
whenever their infestation is noticed under greenhouse.
(Gopinath et al. 2000).

59. Blossom End Rot (BER)
Due to deficiency of calcium in the fruit
The symptoms are disintegration of the cell membranes and increased ion
permeability.
 It is due to soil water deft, high salinity or high NH4 + activity,
 A higher susceptibility to various stresses due to an increase in
physiologically active gibberellins and a resulting decrease In calcium,
causing the enhanced permeability of cell membranes
This results in a brown-black discoloration at the affected site.
To control -always ensure adequate calcium supply to the crop root zone
Do not over water the tomato crop.
Maintain steady fruit and plant growth.
Maintain the proper RH in the greenhouse
Disorders

60. Symptoms of Blossom End Rot (BER)
Regular irrigation. Application of calcium in fertigation or spray with Regular irrigation. Application of calcium in fertigation or spray with
0.5% CaSO0.5% CaSO
4 4 solutionsolution

61. Inability of the fruit skin to expand with fruit growth. This results in
fine hair like cracks on the fruit shoulders
Cracks visible under certain light conditions
Ensure proper plant nutrient balance in greenhouse cultivation of
tomato by way of plant architecture.
Rate of' growth and water regimes can minimize this problem
RUSSETTING

62. BLOTCHY RIPENING
A light color (yellow orange) on the shoulder
This fruit ripening disorder caused by lack of adequate potassium absorption
 Reduces the quality and grade of the greenhouse fruits.
Proper nutrition and make sure there is adequate foliage to shade the fruit.

63. References
http://www.plasticmesh.net/plastic-mesh/windbreak-plastic-mesh.html
https://www.ncpahindia.com/plasticulture
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/09/holland-agriculture-sustainable-farming/
http://nhb.gov.in/PDFViwer.aspx?enc=3ZOO8K5CzcdC/Yq6HcdIxCHFNBw3zB3XZNED0hndZ8g
=
Singh D.K and K.V. Peter. (2013). Protected Cultivation of Horticultural
crops. New India Publishing Agency. New Delhi.
Swain S.C. (2014). Precision Farming in Horticulture Approaches and
Strategies. Narendra Publishing House. New Delhi.
Selvakumar R. (2014). A textbook of Glaustas Olericulture. New Vishal
Publications. New Delhi

64. Performance of tomato under greenhouse and
open field conditions in the trans-Himalayan
region of India
M.S. Kanwar
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of
Kashmir, Regional Agricultural Research Station,
Leh 194 101, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Adv. Hort. Sci., 2011 25(1): 65-68

65. Introduction
•Ladakh has a harsh climate and extreme temperature fluctuations ranging from -37°C to +38°C.
In Ladakh, tomato can be grown in open conditions but yield remains poor with low quality
and it remains weather-dependent. Therefore, protected cultivation is a feasible answer for
successful cultivation of tomato in this region
•It also recommended that cultivation of tomato in a greenhouse would help obtain high
productivity and better return. -Singh and Asrey (2005)
•It also reported 40-45 % higher marketable yield in greenhouses than with open field
conditions. - Gualberto et al. (1998)

66. Materials and Methods
•Design = RBD
•Replication = 3
•Spacing = (60 X 30) cm
•Location = NVPH and open condition at RARS, Leh (3319 amsl)
•Genotypes = 4 Hybrids + 1 OP (Pusa Rohini)
•Parameters = 13

67. Results and discussions

68. Performance- PH and open conditions for plant
character
L1= Poly house
L2= Open field

69. Performance- PH and open conditions for
plant character

70. Performance- PH and open conditions for
yield character

71. Performance- PH and open conditions for
fruit character

72. Performance- PH and open conditions for
fruit character

73. Percent improvement in tomato performance under PH
vs Open conditions for economic characters

74. Conclusion
•It concluded that NVPH are a good and less expensive option for
tomato cultivation in the trans Himalayan region to obtain higher
yield, number of fruits per plant and longer harvest duration. (except
no. of locules)
•Varieties like ‘Shivalik’ and ‘Pusa Rohini’ are responsive to protected
cultivation
•However, no polyhouse x genotype interaction was noted.