Tomato( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is extensively grown as an annual plant.

2. PROTECTED CULTIVATION OF TOMATO
Submitted by:
Lal Agha Sahak

3. CONTENT:
INTRODUCTION
Objectives & Methods and materials
CLASSIFICATION
Botany
IMPORTANCE & USES
CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT
SOIL REQUIREMENTS
MEDIA/BED/SOIL PREPARATION
PLANTING TIME/SEASON
PLANTING METHODS
SELECTING VARITIES
PLANT SPACING
FERTILIZER REQUIREMENT
INTERCULTURAL OPERATIONS
HARVESTING
INSECT, PESTS & DISEASES
Conclusion
Recommendations
References

4. WHY NEED TO GO PROTECTION CULTIVETION OF
TOMATO

5. INTRODUCTION:
Tomato( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is extensively grown as
an annual plant. (singh.,et all.2013)
It ranks second in importance to potato and is the world’s most
highly consumed vegetable. ( swain .2014)
It has chromosome number 2n=24, which belongs to solanaceae
family.
Tomato is native of South America and central America,
probably mainly of Peru and Ecuador. ( swain .2014)
Red Color of tomato is due to the presence of Lycopene and
yellow and orange color is due to the presence of Carotene and
prolycopene pigments. (selvakuma.2014)
Poor’s man
Orange

6. > In Afghanistan, The total cultivation area for its production is about 7,940 ha, while
production itself is 85,000t (MAIL, 2012) annually,
> with an average yield of 10.7t ha-1
in 2004. (Javid Ullah, 2009; Nasrin et al., 2008),
> as it contains a large quantity of water (93.5%) (Gastelum et al., 2011).
> The most prominent tomato-growing states are Baghlan, Namghar, Kabul, Logar, poly
khomry. It is grown on 2021. 8,898 ha in Baghlan, with a production of 21.630 tons and 2022
production was 22,760 tons. (MAIL, 2012).
There are more than 7000 varieties of tomatoes alone. But all of these make up only
one species of tomato. This species is called S. Lycopersicon.
INTRODUCTION

7. Objectives
•To understand the concept and importance of protected cultivation of tomato.
•To identify tomato varieties suitable for protected cultivation.
•To learn best management practices for achieving higher yield and productivity.

8. Methods and Materials
Secondary Data From Various sources such as:
i. Google scholar
II. Academic paper
III.Books
IV. And other relevant sources

9. Division: Magnoliophyta
• Kingdom: Plantae.
• Phylum: Spermatophyta.
• Subphylum: Angiospermae.
• Class: Dicotyledonae.
• Order: Solanales.
• Family: Solanaceae.
• Genus: Solanum
CLASSIFICATION:

10. BOTANY:
Tomato belongs to the family Solanaceae .
Tomato flower is normally perfect.
There are four to eight flowers in each
compound inflorescence.
It is self pollinating crop having tap root system.
The fruit is true berry.
Depending upon growth habit- Determinate
(they are dwarf and all fruits ripen at the same

11. IMPORTANCE & USES:
Tomatoes are a versatile food for cooking as vegetables, and
can be used as base for savory dishes( salty or spicy flavor),
pulps, juices, sauces and jams. (Iqbal.,et all.2011)
It is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre, and a
dietary source of antioxidants. (Harneet Kaur.et all .2011)
It is also a good source of source of Vitamin A, C, and
Potassium. (singh., et all.2011)
It is good for skin, heart, and helps to prevent urinary tract
infections. (singh., et all.2011)
Treats hyperpigmentation, improves vision, helps to prevent
several types of cancer.

12. CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT:
 Tomato is warm season crop and day neutral but
susceptible to wind, frost and waterlogging.
 Optimum day temperature : 19-25 C ˚, night
temperature: 18 C ˚
 Above 32 C ˚ day and 22˚C night or below 18 C ˚
day and 12 C ˚ night temperature affect the fruit
set adversely.
 Below 10 C ˚ fruits are unable to develop red color
& above 30 C ˚, red color starts to disappear.
 Optimum temp. for color development: 10-20˚C

13. SOIL REQUIREMENTS:
Tomatoes grow best in well aerated soil
with a high-water holding capacity, rich in
nutrients and free of pathogens.
The most suitable soil types are loamy,
sandy loamy and silty loamy.
Soil should be nutrient rich, well-draining
soil.
pH: 6-7
Heavy soil with rich in organic matter can
also give high yield.
( Iqbal .,et all.2011)

14. MEDIA/BED/SOIL PREPARATION:
Land is ploughed to 4-5 times to a fine tilth 8-10
inches deep.
Well decomposed FYM @ 20-25 Kg/ha is
incorporated in the soil at the time of final
ploughing & Neem cake @ 100kg/ha
Generally Raised bed is preferred for growing
tomatoes in green house.
Growing beds are disinfected with Formaldehyde 4%
and closed with polythene sheet and ventilators are
closed.
(singh.,et all.2013)

15. Importance of Greenhouse Production
1. Extended Production Period
2. Higher Yield and Better Quality
3. Higher Market Price and Economic Profit
4. Reduced Pest and Disease Pressure
5. Efficient Water and Fertilizer Use
6. Protection From Harsh Climate
7. Advancement Toward Modern Agriculture

16. PLANTING TIME/SEASON:
 Green house cultivation of tomatoes is generally
done in two seasons:
 Spring: Transplanting stage for spring greenhouse
is last of February or early march.
 Autumn: The transplanting time is mid-august.
 Transplanting is preferred in the early morning or
evening.
 They are transplanted at three or more sets of
leaves.
( swain .2014)

17. PLANTING METHODS:
 Five-to-six-week seedlings are transplanted.
 Size of ideal seedling is about 16 cm.
 Field is watered throughout to its field
capacity. (Moist but not drip wet)
 Transplanting is preferred early in early
morning hours.
 Seedlings can be planted in the holes made in
the mulch plastic film so that seedling
doesn’t touch the plastic.
 Beds are irrigated on daily basis until the
establishment of seedling.
(selvakuma.2014)

18. SELECTING VARITIES:
• Safi F1 156.
• Kp F1 1213.
• 1275 F1 (Syngenta)
• Harison 0144 F1
• Harrison 345 F1

19. PLANT SPACING:
 Spacing in tomato plant is decided on the
basis of the growth habit of the variety
and purpose such as fresh marketing or
processing.
 Greenhouse tomatoes need at least Four-
square feet per plant or 10,000 plants per
acre.
 A spacing of 60×45 cm or 60×60 cm is
recommended.

20. FERTILIZER REQUIREMENT:
NPK in the ratio of 200:200:200 kg/ha through
fertigation for entire crop period by using water
soluble fertilizers.
Supply WSF 19% each of NPK @ 3.75 g/m 2
˄
for every fertigation weekly two times after
transplanting from 3rd
week.
 Micronutrient formulation (3g/l), 2 to 3 times
once in 30 days starting from 60 days after
transplanting is sprayed.( B, Mg, Zinc, Cu,
Mn).
(Bentamra.,et all.2023)

21. TRAINING & PRUNING:
 Different types of training system that could be used in
growing green house tomatoes are:
(a) Caging: It is classic way to support tomato plant.
Cages can be made of various heights, but should be
18 inches.
(b) Single stake method: It involves placing a stake into
a soil or mulching a few inches beside a tomato plant.
Tomato plant should be stake after it reaches a height of
10 to 12 inches. This method is best for indeterminate
type of tomatoes, and requires heavy pruning. Most of the
side branches or suckers are removed.
(Bentamra.,et all.2023).

22. (c) String Trellising:
 T-shaped posts is hammered into ground 8’
apart or less and drilled into 3 inch
deep hole.
 String is secured to the soil by using garden
staples.( U-shaped metal piece)
 Lower leaves are removed and plants are
twirled around the string once tomato plant
reaches the height around 12 inches.
(d) V shaped training:
 Similar as that of string trellising, main
difference is that the tomato plants are trained
in two main stems.
 Support posts should 6 feet above the soil and
be spaced 12-20 feet apart.
Fig: Single stake method

23. Fig: Single trellising method Fig: V- Shaped training

24. (e) Florida Weave Trellis(Basket weave
system):
 It is the method in which tomato plants
are weaved between stakes and twine.
 Posts are adjusted at every 2-3 feet.
 Twine are tightly secured at each end
post to ensure twine don’t slip as plant
grows.
 Twine is tied to an end post at 6-8
inches off the ground and secure
tightly.
 It is economical, simple, and major
time saver. (singh.,et all.2013)

25. PRUNING:
 Tomato plants are pruned by selectively
removing suckers, the shoot that grows
between main stem and the leaf and those
branches/leaf touching soil.
 Yellow leaves should be removed as they
use up more sugar than they produce.
 About a month before the first expected
frost, or when the plants hit the roof of the
green house.

26. INTERCULTURAL OPERATIONS:
 Mulching ( 15 micron plastic)
 Weeding, Hoeing
 Transplanting, Hardening off.
 Stacking, Training, Pruning, Suckering
 Truss hook ( Support for weak inflorescence & for fruit cluster)
 Growth regulators: Planofix 4 times @2.5ml per 1o liter of water at 15 days interval.
 Artificial Pollination( Hand pollination by shaking plants or Battery powered vibrating
tools)

27. HARVESTING:
Harvesting time is determined by the cultivar
planted.
Generally the first picking is done at 75-85 DAT.
Summer months harvesting should be done in
early morning or late evening to avoid
postharvest losses.
Fruits are picked after 4-6 days interval after first
picking.
Cherry tomatoes are harvested with stem
attached or some time singly with attached calyx.

28. HARVESTING & POST HARVEST MANAGENET:
• Harvesting of fruit is done at either
breaker stage or half red depending upon
market preference
• Grading is done based on the size of
fruits. Three grades viz., uniform big,
small and damaged & misshapen fruits
are packed separately.
• Automated grading of tomatoes using
sensors, artificial intelligence.
• Artificial Neural Network Technique:
This system mimics human behavior &
attributes in its operation to perceive
the environment.

29. Characteristics Protected Cultivation Open Field Cultivation
Yield per hectare (t/ha) 60–80 t/ha 25–35 t/ha
Harvest duration 10–12 months 4–5 months
Quality (Uniform large fruits %) 85–90% 50–60%
Pests & diseases (% loss) 5–10% 20–30%
Total annual production 60–80 t/ha 25–35 t/ha
Economic profit (per ha) High
Medium/Low
Bhattarai et al. (2024)
Comparative Study of Tomato Production under Protected and Open Field Cultivation with Yield Data

30. INSECT, PESTS & DISEASES:
INSECTS:
 Tomato fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera)
 South American Leaf miner ( Tuta
absoluta)
 Tomato Leaf Miner (Liriomyza sp.)
 White fly( Bemisia tabaci)
MANAGEMENT:
 Clean cultivation, Trap crop
 Neem based pesticide, Bt
 Natural enemies such as parasitic wasps
 Spray of Abamectin, Spinosad based
pesticides.

31. Fig: Liriomyza sp Fig: Whitefly Fig: Root knot nematode
DISEASES:
Damping off ( Pythium ultimum, Rhizoctonia solani, Phytophthora parasitica)
Late blight ( Phytophthora infestans) & Early blight ( Alternaria solani)-Less
likely to be affected but can still suffer badly.
Fusarium wilt ( Fusarium oxysporium)
Bacterial wilt ( Pseudomonas solanacearum)
Tomato mosaic virus

32. Fig: Damping off Fig: Fusarium wilt
Fig: Bacterial Wilt Fig: Tomato mosaic virus

33. CONCLUSION:
•Protected cultivation of tomato is an important and modern method
of crop production.
•It helps protect plants from unfavorable climate, pests, and diseases.
•The use of protected structures increases both the yield and quality
of tomatoes.
•Farmers can produce fresh tomatoes throughout the year under
controlled conditions.
•Proper management and environmental control are essential for
achieving higher productivity.
•Protected cultivation provides farmers with a profitable and
sustainable farming system.

34. Recommendations:
•Practical training programs on protected cultivation should be
organized for farmers.
•The government and agricultural institutions should provide financial
and technical support for the construction of greenhouses.
•Special attention should be given to the selection of suitable tomato
varieties for protected environments.
•Proper management practices for irrigation, fertilization, and pest
control should be implemented.
•New technologies should be introduced to farmers based on the results
of research and experimental farms.

36. Cont>>>>>
Kanwar, M. S., Sharma, R., & Singh, P. (2011). Performance of tomato under greenhouse and open field conditions in the
trans‑Himalayan region of India. Open Agriculture Journal, 5(1), 45–53..
Chandra, P., Singh, A. K., Behera, T. K., and Srivastava, R. (2003). Influence of graded levels of Nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium on the yield and quality of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) hybrids grown in a polyhouse.
Harneet Kaur, H. K., Thakur, J. C., and Neena Chawla, N. C. (2003). Effect of Nitrogen and potassium on growth, yield and quality
of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cv. Punjab Upma. Harneet, K. Thakur, J. C., and Chawla, N.
(2004) Effect of Nitrogen and potassium on growth, yield and quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cv. Punjab
Upma. Haryana J. Hort. Sci., 32(3/4): 286-288.
Iqbal, M., Niamatullah, M., Yousaf, I., Munir, M., and Khan, M. Z. (2011). Effect of nitrogen and potassium on growth, economical
yield and yield components of tomato. Sarhad J. Agric, 27(4), 545-548.
Isah, A. S., Amans, E. B., Odion, E. C.,and Yusuf, A. A. (2014). Growth rate and yield of two tomato varieties (Lycopersicon
esculentum Mill) under green manure and NPK fertilizer rate Samaru Northern Guinea Savanna. International Journal of
Agronomy, 2014(1), 932759.
Comparative Economics of Tomato Production Under Open Field and Polyhouse Conditions in Palpa District, Nepal
by P.Bhattarai et al. (2024)