It is believed that the origin of the tomato is the country of Peru/Ecuador in South America. This plant began to be produced as a crop in Mexico and later spread to other countries of the world.
Tomato production in the world and here in Tanzania
Countries that grow tomatoes in abundance in the world include the USA, Italy and Mexico. On the African side, the countries that have lima are like; Malawi, Zambia and Botswana.
This crop is also cultivated in East African countries, including Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The tomato crop is grown in almost all parts of Tanzania. The production of tomatoes is greater than other vegetable crops cultivated here in Tanzania, the annual production of tomatoes is a total of 129,578 tons representing 51 percent of all vegetable crops. According to the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture, the areas that grow tomatoes the most include Kilimanjaro Region (Hai, Moshi and Rombo), Arusha (Arumeru), Morogoro (Mgeta), Tanga (Lushoto), Mbeya (Mbeya in rural areas) and Singida. Morogoro is the leader in this agriculture with producers with more than 6,159 hectares (15,398 acres). Even though the production area is increasing in many areas, tomato production is still very low.
Less production is caused by decreased soil fertility, wind, heat, drought. Another reason is the lack of tomato varieties with high yields that are resistant to our environment, insects, diseases and weeds.
Environment
• Climate:
Tomatoes thrive best in moderate temperature environments ranging from 18-27 degrees Celsius. Too much rain causes an outbreak of fungal diseases such as Baka jani lewa etc.)
• Soil:
Tomatoes grow in all types of soil from sandy, white loam to clay soil, as long as you have enough compost and do not stagnate/waterlog . It should also have moderate acidity ie pH 6.0 - 7.0.
Types of Tomatoes
Due to growth behavior, tomatoes are divided into two groups:
1. Long type (intermediate) for example ANNA F1, Tebgeru 97. These types do better when planted in a greenhouse. Its harvesting is long-term, there are those that are harvested even more than 6 months, that is, those 6 months are for harvesting.
2. Short varieties (determinate) for example Tanya, Cal J, Mwanga, Onyx, Roma VF (candle tomato)
Due to pollination, tomatoes are divided into two groups:
1. OPV (Open Pollinated Variety) - Common types
2. Hybrid - Hybrid : These are high-yielding types, among which there are short and long types.
In this 21st century, the tomatoes that are preferred to be cultivated by farmers, are those that can tolerate diseases, are very productive, and have a hard shell to achieve transportation, and can be stored for many days without spoiling early.
Preparing a Tomato Nursery
Important things to consider:
• The nursery should be near enough and permanent water
• It should be an open place with soil that is sufficiently fertile
• If the area of the nursery is large, it should be flat or slightly elevated to avoid water from standing on the nursery, if the slope is too steep it is not good because it causes soil erosion.
• The nursery should be a place that did not have a crop of tomatoes or potatoes (or crops of the tomato family, eg, eggplant, eggplant, etc.)
• It should be a place where it is easy to get all the necessary services, including the transfer of seedlings to another place. Also simplifying the distribution of seedlings to other places.
Preparing Terraces for Planting Tomato Seeds
Types of ridges:
- sunken seed beds
- raised seed beds
- normal ridges (flat seed beds)
Important Points to Consider when Preparing Ridges
• The ridge should be between 90 cm wide 120, and any length, [so long as the operator can provide all other services in the nursery without stepping on the seedlings].
• Plow/till deep enough about 15-20 cm so that the roots can spread well in the ground.
• Burn litter over the nursery, or cover the ridge with nylon, 4-8 weeks to kill pathogens and insects.
• When preparing the nursery, add manure/compost or compost to the soil and then plant it so that it mixes well with the soil.
• Mix the amount of 1 to 2 buckets every one meter (one step) square.
• The embankment should not have valleys, valleys or stones that can prevent the good distribution of seeds on the embankment, it should be well balanced to ensure a good distribution of seeds and avoid the seeds being buried so low that they will not germinate.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the ridges mentioned above
1. Raised seed beds;
- ridges like this allow water, air and roots to penetrate the soil more easily.
– Root crops get enough space to expand faster
– These ridges do not absorb water like others, so they are used more in areas with frequent rains.
Disadvantages:
o These types of ridges cause soil erosion if they are not properly constructed.
2. Sunken seed beds:
Advantages:
· these ridges are easy to make
· used during the summer to conserve water and moisture
· less moisture found in the ground
· easy to irrigate using canal or tap water
· preserves moisture in the land for a long time
· prevents soil erosion
Disadvantages:
· This type of terraces cannot be used in areas with
· heavy rainfall.
3. Common ridges (flat seed beds):
Advantages :
· it is very easy to make because the soil is cleared
· and distributed the seeds are planted
· it is easy to use a large area to grow seeds
Disadvantages :
This type of ridges cannot be used in areas with a lot of rain.
Planting Seeds
• Ensure the quality and germination of the seeds before planting them in the nursery (germination test)
• Place lines on the embankment according to the size of the embankment, but the lines should not be less than or more than 15-20 cm from line to line
• The depth of the lines should not be terrible but it should be between 1-2 centimeters
• The ridges should get enough water one day before planting the seeds. It is good to use a watering can.
• The seeds should be sown in lines and distributed well to achieve good seed distribution on the ridge. Mix the fine sand with the seeds and then spread them along the lines prepared on the embankment.
Seeds can also be sown in ridges without lines, but should be spread evenly across the ridge to reduce crowding. Overcrowding causes fungal diseases such as damping off or blight.
• Apply enough mulch that will not prevent seed germination.
• Once the seeds have been sown, water them in sufficient quantity according to the moisture content of the soil
Things to consider after planting the seeds and care in the nursery
• Water the nursery after planting according to the moisture present in the soil.
• When all the seedlings have germinated, remove the mulch, then apply the vaccine to reduce the sun's rays that can burn the young seedlings. (the cold period is not very important)
• Reduce the seedlings (thinning) so that they remain in sufficient space. So the seedlings should remain at a distance of 2.5 - 4 cm. This will reduce diseases of deformity and wilting, it will also help to get better and stronger seedlings.
• Continue watering until the seedlings reach a height suitable for transplanting to the field.
• Reduce the level of irrigation, a few days before transferring the seedlings to the field, ie 7-10 days.
Rules and methods for transferring seedlings from the nursery to the field (Transplanting Rules)
• Water the seedlings a few hours before moving the seedlings to the field so that when uprooting the seedlings, the roots adhere well to the soil.
• Before moving the seedlings, the holes should be prepared in the appropriate positions in the field.
• Seedlings should be moved in the evening to avoid possible damage caused by the sun.
• In general, almost all vegetable crops are ready to be transferred to the field with between 2-6 full leaves and many well-developed roots.
• The seedling must be healthy, well straight, so all stunted or excessively thin seedlings should not be taken when sending to the field.
• Remove the seedlings carefully, especially with their soil, using the relevant equipment so that the roots are not damaged.
• Seedlings should be moved to the field soon after they are plucked from the nursery.
• When transplanting seedlings, great care should be taken not to damage the seedlings/roots.
Preparation of the Tomato Field
• The tomato field should be prepared 1-2 months before planting the seedlings.
• Immediately after planting, burn the grass on the soil or remove all the weeds that can harbor insects and tomato diseases.
• A day or two before moving the tomatoes to the field, irrigate the area prepared for moving the tomatoes.
• The space between seedlings is an average of (50-60) x (50-75) centimeters depending on the type or climate. If it is a cold season, it is better to plant different tomatoes to allow air circulation and prevent fungal diseases.
How to plant seedlings:
• Move the seedlings from the nursery together with their soil
• Spread the roots well in the hole without bending.
• Cover the seedlings at the same depth that the stem was covered in the garden.
• Irrigate enough water according to the moisture present in the soil and apply mulch and shade to reduce the damage caused by the sun's rays.
Important things to consider after transferring the seedlings to the farm
• Inspect the field regularly to find out the progress or problems in the field in advance
• Make sure the field is clean at all times, weed the field and make sure all the weeds, especially those of the tomato family, are plowed down.
• Remove diseased plants or remove the affected parts, then cover them with ground or burn them.
• Reduce the branches and shoots to add enough light to the tomatoes as well as to allow sufficient wind circulation and create a difficult environment for the enemies of the tomatoes, especially those that like darkness and diseases that prefer humidity.