SOIL SUITABILITY AND MANAGEMENT FOR TOMATO

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INTRODUCTION

The tomato should have a firm flesh and a uniform colour with no

blemishes, wrinkles or cracks. It should weigh heavy in the hand.

Light puffy tomatoes usually have a poor texture and taste.

Tomatoes do very well on most mineral soils, but they prefer deep,

well drained sandy loams.

Upper layer of soil should be porous with little sand and good clay

in the subsoil.

Soil depth 15 to 20cm proves to be good for healthy crop.

Deep tillage can allow for adequate root penetration in heavy clay

type soils, which allows for production in these soil types.

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Tomato is a moderately tolerant crop to a wide pH range. A pH

of 5.5- 6.8 is preferred.

Though tomato plants will do well in more acidic soils with

adequate nutrient supply and availability.

Tomato is moderately tolerant to acid soil that is pH of 5.5.

The soils with proper water holding capacity, aeration, free

from salts are selected for cultivation.

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Soils extremely high in organic matter are not recommended due to

the high moisture content of this media and nutrient deficiencies.

But, as always, the addition of organic matter to mineral soils will

increase yield.

Tomato is a warm season crop, it requires warm and cool climate.

The plants cannot withstand frost and high humidity. Also light

intensity affects pigmentation, fruit colour, fruit set.

The plant is highly affected by adverse climatic conditions.

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It requires different climatic range for seed germination, seedling

growth, flower and fruit set, and fruit quality.

Temperature below 100C and above 380C adversely affects plant

tissues thereby slow down physiological activities.

It thrives well in temperature 100C to 300C with optimum range of

temperature is 21-240C.

The mean temperatures below 160C and above 270C are not desirable.

The plant doesn’t withstand frost, it requires low to medium rainfall,

and does well under average monthly temperature of 21 to 230C.

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Avoid water stress and long dry period as it causes cracking of fruits.

Bright sunshine at the time of fruit set helps to develop dark red

coloured fruits.

Temperature Requirement  

S.No. Stages Temperature (0C)

Minimum Suitable Maximum

1. Seed germination 11 16-29 34

2. Seedling growth 18 21-24 32

3. Fruit set (day)(night)

10 15-17 30

18 20-24 30

4. Red colour development

10 20-24 30

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WATER AND HUMIDITY

A simple thumb rule can be used to determine whether local water

supplies are sufficient for growing tomato.

If there are herbaceous plants growing in the natural environment, it

will be possible to grow tomato.

Water stress and long dry periods will cause buds and flowers to drop

off, and the fruits to split.

However, if rains are too heavy and humidity is too high, the growth of

mould will increase and the fruit will rot.

Cloudy skies will slow down the ripening of tomatoes.

However, adapted cultivars are available. Seed companies have

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METHODS OF SOIL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

1. Clean culture

2. Clean culture with cover crops

3. Mulching

4. Sod

5. Sod mulch

6. Intercropping

7. Mixed cropping

8. Multitier system of cropping

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1. CLEAN CULTURE

Involves regular ploughing and removal of weeds.

Cultivation should be minimized by avoiding deep and frequent

cultivation and also cultivation when the soil is too wet.

To avoid loss of humus, nitrogen, soil erosion, formation of hard

pan etc., Soil suitability and management for mango production

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2. CLEAN CULTURE WITH COVER CROPS Involves raising of a cover crop or green manure after

removing the weeds.

Green manure crops like Sunhemp, Cowpea, Daincha, Lupins

etc. are more commonly used.

Crop residues like straw, cotton stalks, leaves, saw dust, pine

needles, coir dust arid other materials like polythene films or

certain special kinds of paper are spread in the tree basins and

in inter spaces between trees.

Plastic mulch in tomato field it keeps moisture in the soil and

prevents weeds.

3. MULCHING

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In this method, permanent cover of grass is raised in the orchard and

no tillage is given.

4. SOD

This is similar to sod with the only difference is that the

vegetation is cut frequently and the cut material is allowed to remain

on the ground.

5. SOD MULCH

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6. INTERCROPPING

The practice of growing any economic crop in alley spaces of the

plant or in the' unoccupied spaces of the long duration crop in the

early periods is referred as intercropping.

Tomato intercropped with amaranthus, maize (trap crop) and sweet

potato (Sheela et al., 2002). Intercropping of tomato with cabbage.

Combining these crops will reduce the damage done by the

diamond-back moth.

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7. MIXED CROPPING

It refers to the practice of growing certain perennial crops in the

alley spaces of the main perennial crops.

The main advantage is the effective utilization of available area and

increase in the net income of the farm per unit area.

For example Fifteen days before transplanting a tomato crop,

marigold (Tagetes erecta and other closely related varieties) is sown

along the field border and also along the water channels in the field.

This mixed cropping system helps to control the fruit borer in

tomato.

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8. MULTITIER SYSTEM OF CROPPING

Intercropping and mixed cropping involve jointly multitier system of

cropping

Defined as a compatible companion of crops having varying

morphological frames and rooting habits, grown together in such a

manner that their canopies intercept solar energy at varying

heights and their roots forage the soil at different zones.

The main principle here is that the land, water and sunlight should

be effectively used.

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