Tomato Farming
🧭 Complete Guide to Tomato Farming | Tomato Cultivation in India
Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops grown across India. It is rich in essential nutrients and is among the most popular vegetables worldwide. Tomatoes are available throughout the year and rank second globally after potatoes in terms of production.
For farmers, tomato cultivation has become a profitable business because it can be grown in different seasons and has consistent market demand. The fruits are used for preparing soups, salads, chutneys, sauces, and several delicious food items.
🍅 Uses of Tomato
Tomatoes are used both at the household and industrial level.
They are a rich source of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin C, and nicotinic acid.
Major Uses:
- Making soups, salads, chutneys, sauces, and gravies
- Tomato ketchup, puree, and processing industries
- Medicinal purposes due to lycopene and vitamin C
- Natural ingredient in cosmetic and skincare products
Tomatoes also strengthen the immune system and improve digestion.
🌦️ Climate Requirements
Tomatoes thrive best in temperatures between 18°C and 27°C.
Severe cold and frost cause flower and fruit drop, while extremely high temperatures reduce fruit color and quality.
- Below 10°C – red and yellow color formation stops.
- Above 30°C – red pigment formation decreases.
- Above 40°C – color development completely stops.
👉 Hence, moderate climates are ideal for tomato cultivation.
Hot and dry winds can cause flower drop, so timely irrigation is essential.
🌱 Suitable Soil for Tomato Cultivation
Tomatoes can grow in almost all types of soil, but well-drained loamy soil rich in organic matter is most suitable.
Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.0
Tips:
- Avoid water stagnation.
- Apply well-decomposed organic manure before planting.
- Conduct soil testing for better nutrient management.
🌾 Improved Varieties
India has developed several improved and hybrid tomato varieties that are high yielding and disease resistant.
Improved Varieties:
- Pusa Ruby
- Pusa Gaurav
- Hisar Arun
- Hisar Lalima
- Hisar Lalit
- Punjab Chuhara
- Punjab Kesari
- Pusa Sadabahar
- Pant Bahar
- Sweet-72
Hybrid Varieties:
- Vaishali
- Rupali
- Naveen
- Rajni
- Avinash-2
- Arka Vishal
- Kanchan
- Pusa Hybrid-1, 2 & 4
These varieties provide better fruit size, color, and higher yield potential.
🌿 Nursery Preparation
Tomato seedlings are first raised in a nursery.
About 400–500 grams of seed per hectare is required for normal varieties,
while 200 grams per hectare is enough for hybrids.
Seed Treatment:
Treat seeds with Agrosan GN (2 g per kg seed) to prevent damping-off disease.
Nursery Tips:
- Prepare raised beds with proper drainage.
- Mix well-decomposed FYM (farmyard manure) and sand.
- Cover seeds with a thin layer of soil and straw.
- Spray 0.2% Dithane M-45 solution regularly to prevent fungal infection.
🚜 Field Preparation
Plough the field 3–4 times to make it fine and well-leveled.
Apply 250–300 quintals of well-decomposed farmyard manure per hectare before final ploughing.
If soil testing is not done, apply fertilizers as below per hectare:
- Nitrogen (N): 100 kg
- Phosphorus (P₂O₅): 80 kg
- Potassium (K₂O): 60 kg
Application Method:
- Apply one-third of the total fertilizers as a basal dose before transplanting.
- Split the remaining nitrogen into two equal doses at 25–30 and 45–50 days after transplanting.
- During flowering, spray 0.4% urea solution for better yield.
🧂 Micronutrient Management
- To prevent fruit cracking, apply 20–25 kg borax per hectare before transplanting.
- For improving fruit quality, spray 0.3% borax solution three to four times during fruiting stage.
🌿 Plant Spacing
Maintain spacing of 60 × 45 cm between plants for optimum growth.
In highly fertile soils, two seedlings can be planted per pit to enhance yield.
💧 Irrigation Management
- Give the first irrigation immediately after transplanting.
- Provide irrigation every 15–20 days depending on weather conditions.
- In summer, irrigate every 10 days; in winter, every 20 days is sufficient.
- Avoid over-irrigation or waterlogging to maintain fruit quality.
🌾 Weed Management
Weeding is essential 35–40 days after transplanting to prevent competition for nutrients.
For chemical weed control:
- Apply Lasso (2 kg/ha) before transplanting, or
- Use Stomp (1 kg/ha) four to five days after transplanting.
Both are effective without harming the crop yield.
🌼 Growth Regulators
Growth regulators help in increasing fruit set, reducing virus attack, and enhancing maturity.
- 50–100 ppm spray improves fruit setting under high or low temperatures.
- 500 ppm Cycocel spray on nursery seedlings 3–4 days before and 25–30 days after transplanting reduces viral diseases.
- 1000 ppm Ethrel spray helps in uniform ripening of fruits.
🛡️ Plant Protection
🐛 Major Pests and Their Control
- Fruit Borer:
Bores into fruits and damages them from inside.
👉 Control: Spray 0.05% Rogor or Metasystox at 15-day intervals. - Jassid (Green Leafhopper):
Sucks sap from leaves causing yellowing and curling.
👉 Remove affected leaves and apply insecticide. - Whitefly:
Transmits leaf curl (mosaic) virus.
👉 Remove infected plants and use neem-based biopesticides.
🌿 Disease Management
- Seedling Blight (Damping-off):
Treat seeds with 2 g Captan or Carbendazim per kg seed. - Early Blight:
Brown circular spots on leaves and fruits.
👉 Spray 0.2% Dithane M-45 at 10–15 day intervals.
🌾 Yield
Under good management:
- Improved varieties yield 300–400 quintals per hectare,
- Hybrid varieties yield 500–600 quintals per hectare.
🌱 Seed Production
Tomato is a self-pollinated crop.
To maintain seed purity, maintain 25–50 meters isolation distance between two varieties.
Seed Extraction Methods:
- Fermentation Method – keep pulp in water for 2–3 days, then wash and dry in shade.
- Acid Treatment – mix 10 kg pulp with 100 ml hydrochloric acid for 30 minutes, wash with water, and dry.
Seed Yield: 100–125 kg per hectare.
💰 Profit from Tomato Farming
The cost of tomato cultivation per hectare is around ₹50,000–₹70,000.
With good management, farmers can easily earn ₹2,00,000–₹3,00,000 per hectare.
Tips for Higher Profit:
- Use drip irrigation to save water and fertilizer.
- Get crop insurance.
- Sell directly to processing units or local markets for better prices.
🧩 Additional Tips for Successful Tomato Cultivation
- Follow crop rotation (grow legumes before tomato).
- Remove diseased plants immediately.
- Use neem oil and other organic pesticides for eco-friendly farming.
- Use shade nets in summer to reduce heat stress.
- Harvest fruits in the morning or evening for better quality.
Additional Information and Government Resources
If you want to learn more about soil testing, fertilizer recommendations, or crop nutrition management,
you can visit the official website run by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India:
👉 [Soil Health Portal – Government of India]
On this portal, you can access:
- The facility to view your Soil Health Card
- Crop-wise fertilizer recommendations
- State-specific agricultural expert guidance
- And valuable information related to organic farming
❓ FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions about Tomato Farming
1. What is the best time to grow tomatoes in India?
Answer: Tomatoes can be grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons. July-August and January-February are ideal sowing months in North India.
2. How many days does tomato take to mature?
Answer: The crop takes about 90–120 days from transplanting to harvesting.
3. Which variety gives the highest yield?
Answer: Pusa Hybrid-2 and Arka Vishal are known for high productivity.
4. How many plants are needed per acre?
Answer: Approximately 10,000–12,000 plants per acre.
5. What are the major tomato diseases?
Answer: Early blight, leaf curl, fruit rot, and mosaic are common diseases.
6. How often should tomato plants be watered?
Answer: Every 15–20 days; in summer, every 10 days.
7. Which fertilizer is best for tomatoes?
Answer: Farmyard manure along with urea, single super phosphate, and muriate of potash in balanced proportion.
8. What is the average profit from tomato farming?
Answer: Profit can range between ₹50,000 to ₹1,00,000 per acre.
9. Can tomatoes be grown organically?
Answer: Yes, by using neem oil, compost, and organic pest management techniques.
10. When should tomatoes be harvested?
Answer: When fruits turn slightly red but are not fully ripe – early harvesting improves shelf life.
🌾 Conclusion
Tomato farming is one of the most profitable and rewarding crops for Indian farmers.
With proper climate management, improved varieties, balanced nutrition, and pest control, farmers can achieve higher yields with less investment.
Motivational Message:
👉 With dedication and modern scientific farming techniques, every farmer can double their income.
Tomato cultivation is not just vegetable farming – it’s a step towards strengthening the economic backbone of rural India. 🇮🇳🌱