This document provides information on tomato crop production in dryland areas. It discusses the origin and distribution of tomatoes, noting they originated in South America and were domesticated in Mexico. The top five producers globally are China, the EU, India, the US, and Turkey. For production, it recommends selecting well-drained soil, acquiring certified seeds, establishing a nursery, transplanting seedlings on ridges or beds, applying fertilizer, harvesting at the turning or mature green stage, and using techniques like staking and pruning to improve yields and quality. The use of a zero-energy cooling chamber can also extend shelf life by maintaining optimal temperature and humidity conditions.

1. Faculty of Agriculture
Department of Agronomy
Programme: Msc Agronomy (With specialization in crop and Cropping system in
Drylands)
Course: AGN8315(Crop management in Dryland Agro ecology)
A Presentation By
Nazeer Musa Ahmad
(SPS/19/MAG/00033)

2. Crop: Tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum(L.))
ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION
• Tomatoes are members of the Solanaceae family, which includes peppers, eggplant, Irish potatoes and
tobacco.
• The tomato originated in the area extending from Ecuador to Chile in the western coastal plain of South
America.
• The tomato was first domesticated in Mexico where a variety of sizes and colors were selected.
• The fruit was introduced to Europe in the mid-1500s. The first ones introduced there were probably yellow
since they were given the name pomodoro in Italy, which means “golden apple.” Later the names poma
armoris and pomme d’amour were used in Italy and France. These names are both translated as “love apple.”
• Tomatoes are members of the nightshade family and, because of this, were considered for many years to be
poisonous.
• Indeed, many crops in this family contain highly toxic alkaloids. Tomatine occurs in toxic quantities in the
tomato foliage but is converted enzymatically to a non-toxic form in the fruit. Because of these beliefs, the
crop was not used for food until the 18th century in England and France.
• Tomatoes were introduced to the United States in 1710, but only became popular as a food item later in that
century. Even as late as 1900, many people held the belief that tomatoes were unsafe to eat.
• Use of the crop has expanded rapidly over the past 100 years. Today more than 400,000 acres of tomatoes are
produced in the United States. (https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html)
• The record confirmed that Nigeria produces approximately 1.8 million metric tons fresh fruits for domestic
consumption, with national demand of about 2-3 million metric tons annually with demand gap of about
500,000metric tons.[ https://www.agrisupportonline.com/ ]

4. Tomato Production in Nigeria
Nigeria provides about 2% of total world tomatoes production. Still the country does not get about 45% of the tomatoes
due to poor food supply chain.(Source:www.legit.ng/amp/1107319-tomato-production-Nigeria-regions-successful.html)

5. IMPORTANCE AND UTILIZATION
• The tomato is a major vegetable crop that has achieved tremendous popularity
over the last century. It is grown in practically every country of the world – in
outdoor fields, greenhouses and net houses. The tomato plant is very versatile
and the crop can be divided into two categories; fresh market tomatoes and
processing tomatoes. In both cases, world production and consumption has
grown quite rapidly over the past 25 years.
• Tomatoes, aside from being tasty, are very healthy as they are a good source of
vitamins A and C. it also contains Lycopene; which is a very powerful antioxidant
that can help prevent the development of many forms of cancer.
• Cooked tomatoes and tomato products are the best source of lycopene since
the lycopene is released from the tomato when cooked.
• A raw tomato has about 20% of the lycopene content found in cooked
tomatoes. However, raw or cooked tomatoes are considered the best source for
this antioxidant.[ https://www.agrisupportonline.com/]

6. GLOBAL TOMATO PRODUCTION
Global tomato production is currently around 130
million tons, of which 88 million are destined for
the fresh market and 42 million are processed. The
top 5 largest tomato producers are: China, EU,
India, US and Turkey. They account for 70%
of global production
(https://www.eurofresh-distribution.com/news/around-world-tomatoes)

7. ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Climate:
• This annual plant is classified as a warm-season crop. Temperatures even a few
degrees above freezing may cause serious damage to both plant and fruit. The
optimum temperature for growth, yield and fruit quality of tomatoes is an average
daily mean of 20°C to 24°C. At temperatures below 12°C or above 35°C, flowers are
often shed, with a consequent poor fruit set; the quality of the fruits produced
under such conditions may also be detrimentally affected.
• Even in frost-free areas, winter production of tomatoes should not be attempted
where mean temperatures frequently drop below the critical margin of 12°C. The
best soil temperature for germination of tomato seed is from 15°C to 30°C. At such
temperatures plant emergence occurs in about 7 to 10 days. At temperatures of
only 10°C this period may extend to three weeks or longer, and emergence tends to
be more uneven and poorer.
• The germination capacity is detrimentally affected at soil temperatures of over
35°C. Hot, dry winds may cause an excessive flower-drop, even when soils are
moist.
• Strong winds can cause serious mechanical damage. Continuous moist, rainy
weather promotes the occurrence and spread of leaf diseases, and also makes their
control more difficult. For best results, tomatoes should be grown in relatively dry
areas under irrigation.

8. 2. Soils
• Tomatoes should ideally be grown in deep, fertile, humus-rich, free-draining, but
moisture retentive soils, which are free of nematodes. Sandy loam to clay loam
soils, with a clay content of between 15 and 35 percent, are considered to be
the most suitable.
• Sandy or gravelly soils are acceptable, provided the soil moisture content can be
kept at the desired high level.
• Heavy clay soils are less suitable because the slower drainage can cause
unfavourable water-logging during prolonged or heavy rainy spells, particularly
where these occur just after a good irrigation. In entirely unrestricted soils, a few
tomato roots may penetrate to a depth of over 2 m, but the greatest
concentration of roots occurs in the top 600 mm of soil, which is considered to
be the effective rooting depth of this plant.
• Soils with a minimum depth of 600 mm should thus be selected, with even
deeper soils receiving preference. The tomato does well in humus-rich soils and
will respond well if grown after a green manure or soil-improving crop.

9. 3. Day length
•Tomatoes require lots of light, so full
sun (at least 6 to
•8 hrs or direct sunlight) is important.
You can grow them in partial sun, but
yields and flavor will not be as good.

10. pH
•This is important for optimum nutrient
availability and health of many beneficial soil
organisms. Lime is used to raise soil pH (reduce
acidity). It also supplies calcium and magnesium.
•The ideal soil pH level for growing tomato is
between 6.0 to 6.8
(https://homeguides.sfgate.com/amount-ph-needed-grow-tomatoes)

11. PRODUCTION PRACTICES
1.Land Selection
Select a flatland. Loam and sandy loam soils
are best for tomato production, but tomato
can grow in almost all soil types except
heavy clay. The soil should be fairly loose and
well-drained. Tomatoes don’t grow well In
dry soil, avoid planting on waterlogged soil.

12. Ideal land for Tomato production

13. 2. Acquisition of Seed
Contact certified agricultural input supplier to
purchase high quality seeds.
Note: generic and untreated tomato seeds are
most likely to germinate into weak, pale and
unhealthy tomato plants. It also causes reduction
in yield and quick deterioration of fruits. It is
therefore necessary to purchase and plant treated
tomato seeds from trusted agro-input suppliers.

14. Certified Agrodealer

15. 3. Nursery Establishment
• Nursery provides favorable growth conditions, and since tomato seeds are very
small, nursery helps to prevent seed wastage and ensure maximum germination
rates of seeds. Nurseries must be raised in a nursery at 2-3 weeks before
transplanting to the farm. Nursery establishment contributes to early maturity and
higher yields of tomato.
• Make nursery beds 1m wide (nursery beds may be of any length but a width of 1m
is advised to enhance accessibility);
• Place seeds at 1cm apart on the nursery;broadcast a handful of fertilizer (about
0.25kg) per nursery bed of 1m X 2m dimension
• Cover lightly the seedbed with top soil and also apply insecticides such as Actara on
the seedbed.
• Mulch the seedbed with dry grasses to avoid impact of high temperature and
remove the mulch after seeds germinated.
• Water gently to avoid splashes; About a week before transplanting, seedlings are
hardened by reducing frequency of watering and increasing ventilation. In cases of
insects infestation, treat with right insecticide.

16. Use of Nursery Trays
Traditional Method
Nursery Bed preparation

17. Mechanized Land Clearing
Animal Driven Land Preparation
Manual Land Clearing
Well Prepared Farmland
Land Preparation

18. Land Preparation
Clear all the bushes in your farm.
Manual, mechanized or animal driven methods can
be applied in clearing and preparation of farmland.
Information: Tree Branches and grass clippings
should not be burned in the farm, they should be
ploughed back to the soil which will decompose to
add organic matter and enhance soil productivity.
(Source: Technoserve Nigeria, a guide for the establishment of healthy tomato farm)

19. Transplanting

20. Transplanting
•Tomato farm should have a well drained fertile
loamy or sandy loam soil, with 6-7 PH level.
•Tomato can be transplanted in bed or ridges the
farm should be irrigated before transplanting.
•They should adopt spacing of 60cm x 60cm or 60cm
x 90cm between plants and rows; seedlings should
be transplanted when it has attained 4-5 leaves or
3-4 weeks old; irrigate well before and after
transplanting (Source: Technoserve Nigeria, a guide for the establishment of healthy tomato farm)

21. Transplant in Zig zag

22. Fertilizer Application

23. Fertilizer application
•Fertilizer should be buried near the root zone.
•Broadcasting should be avoided to mitigate fertilizer lost
through volatilization and unwanted fertilization of weeds
•Apply 3g of N/Plant 2g of K2O and P2O5 at 3-7 days after
transplanting
• 2nd top dress- 10g of N/Plant 6g of K2O and P2O5(3 weeks after first application)
30g/plant
• 3rd top dress- 10g of N/Plant 6g of K2O and P2O5(3 weeks after second
application)
• 4th top dress –10g of N/Plant 6g of K2O and P2O5(3 weeks after third application)
NOTE: soil analysis is important to determine the nutritional requirements as composition of soil varies per
locations (Source: Technoserve Nigeria, a guide for the establishment of healthy tomato farm)

24. Weeding
•Weeding reduces competition for water, nutrients and
sunlight
-It controls pests and diseases by eliminating alternate
hosts
-Weeds may reduce the quality of tomato fruits.
•Hand weeding- this method is safe and does not damage
plant parts is usually done twice or three times
•Chemical- herbicides can be used, although as a last
resort to control stubborn weeds.

25. Harvesting
Ripe Stage Turning Stage Mature Green Stage

26. Harvest Tomato at Turning or Mature Green Stage
• High level of losses occurs when tomatoes are harvested overripe and
this reduces income along the value chain.
• Fully ripened tomatoes are susceptible to mechanical injuries during
harvesting, transportation, packing, and storage. All these losses
reduce income.
• To minimize post-harvest losses, farmers targeting distant markets
must harvest their tomatoes at matured green or turning stage.
• Production staggering can help prevent over-production and create a
balance in the tomato supply chain.

27. Maintain Optimum Temperature
• Harvesting time is important, either in the morning or at evening
time to allow optimum temperature of about 20°C which is suitable
for tomato harvesting.
• After harvesting, there is a need to take out field heat by cooling the
tomatoes before storage. Excessive heat reduces tomato quality and
triggers quick spoilage of produce, resulting into monetary loss.
• Keeping harvested tomatoes under tree shades is not reliable as they
are likely to shift away from the tomatoes, and expose them to
excessive field heat.

28. Dryland practices in Tomato Production
1. Staking:
Staking can increase productivity up to 30% and helps promote
ventilation throughout the farm. It also ensures less buildup of
moisture, and discourages spread of pest and diseases. Staking
also helps support tomato plants as they grow and produce
heavy fruit .
- staking increases contact with sunlight and gives higher yield
- Reduces incidence of pests and diseases and damage to the
fruit from ground abrasion
- Staking is recommended for better growth, increased fruit
bearing and improved fruit quality.

29. Staking

30. 2. Zero Energy Cooling chamber

31. Use of Zero Energy Cooling Chamber can Extend
Tomato shelf-life
• Keeping tomatoes under tree shades for storage purposes is
inadequate.
• A zero Energy Cooling Chamber can reduce temperature by 10-15⁰C
and maintains high humidity of 95%. This can increase tomato shelf life
and retain its quality.
• It serves a dual purpose of storage and temperature control thereby
reducing tomato post-harvest losses. You can build it for on-the-farm
storage

32. 3. Prunning
•Pruning your tomato plants generally improves the
health of the plants and the quality of the fruit they
produce, but not every type of tomato plant benefits
from pruning.
•Determinate plants, for example, don't need much
pruning to thrive.
•Combining pruning with stakes encourages your
tomato plants to grow in an upright form that
reduces the risk of disease and increases the
longevity of the fruit they produce.
(Source: Technoserve Nigeria, a guide for the establishment of healthy tomato farm)

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