22/01/2025
*TOMATO FARMING:*
◼️ Tomato varieties can be classified into two groups:
A) Determinate varieties:They grow to a certain height, stop then flower and set all their fruit within a short period of time.
B) Indeterminate varieties:They continuously grow, flower and set fruit without limitation of reproductive stages.
◼️ To optimize performance, soil nutrition amendment is necessary. It is a requirement to do a soil analysis which will serve as a base for developing a fertilizer program.
◼️ Tomatoes must be regularly watered especially during critical periods like flower-setting and growth of the fruits.
◼️ Excess moisture on the leaves can lead to diseases especially early blight.
◼️ Do not plant in cold soils.This weakens plants making them more susceptible to diseases and may stunt them permanently.
◼️ Weeding the tomato field when the soil is wet can increase the spread of some bacterial (bacterial wilt) and fungal (fusarium wilt) diseases.
◼️The choice of tomato cultivar is based on factors such as yield potential, disease resistance, fruit quality (including size, shape and color), market preferences, adaptability to local environmental conditions, growth habit (determinate or indeterminate).
◼️ Harden the seedlings 1-2 weeks before transplanting by reducing the frequency of watering and gradually exposing the seedlings to direct sunlight.
◼️ Disease control is one of the major factors affecting tomato quality and production. It is wise to avoid varieties that offer no tolerance to serious diseases prevalent in your area.
