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| """How To Grow Potatoes In A Greenhouse | |
| You can easily grow potatoes in a greenhouse so you can harvest your favorite varieties all year round. Plus, growing potatoes in a greenhouse, hoop house, or cold frame not only keeps potato plants safe from frost but also numerous pests. You can grow potatoes in raised beds, grow bags, or pots, so you can even do it in small spaces. | |
| To grow potatoes in a greenhouse, you’ll want to first find seed potatoes of your preferred variety, then decide on a location. You can grow potatoes in a raised bed, but any container that’s at least 24 inches tall and about 18 inches in diameter will do. | |
| When done right, you can get continuous harvests of potatoes that taste better than anything you can find in the store. So are you ready to get your hands dirty and learn how to grow potatoes in a greenhouse? Read on! | |
| Quick overview of growing potatoes in a greenhouse | |
| Type: cold-season crop | |
| Time from seed to harvest: 80-100 days | |
| Germination temp: 4°C | |
| Time until first emergence: 14-28 days | |
| Best temp to grow: 18-21°C | |
| Height: 18-36 in | |
| Spread: 18-36 in | |
| Grow from seed: 7-8 in deep, 10-12 in apart in rows 36 in apart; | |
| Companions: cabbage, corn, chives, cilantro, leeks | |
| Keep away from: tomatoes, eggplants, fennel, pumpkins, root vegetables | |
| The benefits of growing potatoes in a greenhouse | |
| Garden potatoes are typically planted a few weeks before the last frost date, or when the soil is at least 7-12°C. In most regions, this is usually around April. But in warmer climates, potatoes are often planted in the fall or even winter for a spring harvest! | |
| Because they are frost-tender and don’t love extreme heat, potatoes grown outside are limited to the seasons. In a greenhouse, however, you can control variables such as light and temperature, allowing you to extend the growing season. This way you can easily have several harvests of potatoes in a single year, or more! | |
| You can grow potatoes in the winter | |
| There’s nothing quite like a freshly-harvested potato. Like tomatoes, they taste remarkably better fresh than they do after weeks or months of storage. | |
| In winter, grocery stores typically only stock a handful of potato varieties that have been kept in storage since the previous season or have been imported from abroad. With a greenhouse, you can plant potatoes using a method called succession planting, planting potatoes in intervals so you can have regular, extended harvests! | |
| Depending on your climate, you can grow potatoes this way in the winter even in an unheated greenhouse. Even in colder climates, you can continue growing your potatoes through the winter as long as you supplement with some heat and light. | |
| How to pick the right variety of potato to grow | |
| Did you know that there are thousands of varieties of potatoes? Historically, they’ve been cultivated throughout the Andes, particularly in Peru, but over the last two centuries they’ve become one of the top food crops in the world. | |
| Grocery stores typically only carry a handful of the most popular potatoes, such as Russets or Burbanks. When growing potatoes at home or in your greenhouse, you can choose from many different kinds of potatoes, which is both an exciting and daunting opportunity. | |
| To make it a little easier, we’ll help you understand the three main kinds of potatoes, and some of our favorite varieties to grow in the greenhouse! | |
| First early potatoes | |
| First early potatoes are also known as “new” potatoes because they’re typically the first ones to be harvested. These varieties are usually planted a few weeks before the average last frost date because they can tolerate a light frost. | |
| For that reason, first early potatoes are a particularly good option for growing in a greenhouse during the winter, especially an unheated one. | |
| Our favorite varieties of first early potatoes to grow in the greenhouse include: Yukon Gold, Dark Red Norland, and Purple Viking. | |
| Second early potatoes | |
| As suggested, second early potatoes, or mid-season potatoes, take a few more weeks to mature than first early potatoes. They taste best when just harvested, so they’re a great option to grow at home for year-round eating. | |
| An often-overlooked advantage of growing first early or second early potatoes is that they tend to be less prone to common potato diseases, because the potatoes are harvested before the disease has had a chance to take hold. | |
| Our favorite varieties of second early potatoes to grow in the greenhouse include: Kennebec, Red Chieftain, and Gold Rush. | |
| Maincrop potatoes | |
| Maincrop potatoes, or late-season potatoes, take the longest to mature and set good-sized potatoes. Due to the longer growing season, these varieties tend to be better for long-term storage and are more often found in grocery stores. | |
| Maincrop potatoes are a good option for greenhouse growing if you have a short growing season but would still like to grow some good storage potatoes. These potatoes tend to be great options for baking, mashing, or frying. | |
| Our favorite varieties of maincrop potatoes to grow in the greenhouse include: Burbank Russet, French Fingerling, and German Butterball. | |
| How to plant potatoes in a greenhouse | |
| Depending on your greenhouse setup, you have several different options for planting potatoes. You can either choose to grow potatoes in pots or raised beds, and both have some distinct advantages. | |
| Planting in pots vs. raised beds | |
| Planting potatoes in pots or planters makes growing potatoes easy. When placed in your greenhouse, your potatoes are safe from many animals, pests, and diseases, but also give you the flexibility of moving them around. | |
| While any pot at least 24 inches deep and 12-18 inches wide will be able to accommodate 1-2 potato plants, you can also find many specialized potato planters. Compared to other pots, these planters have openings that allow for observing your potatoes as they develop and harvesting “new” potatoes without digging. | |
| It’s important that the container you choose is deep enough to add more soil as the plants grow in a process called hilling. This protects your potatoes from the sunlight and results in a better harvest. | |
| While growing potatoes in a container is easy, you can also plant your potatoes in raised beds with no issues. Just make sure that the bed is deep enough for the roots to develop properly, and that you have room to hill the potato plants several times through their growing season. | |
| Planting preparation | |
| When planting potatoes in a raised bed, you can plant them just as you would if you were farming an open field. Keep in mind that potatoes thrive in loose, well-drained soil, so the beds should have compost or high quality potting soil. Potatoes are also high feeders, so it’s a good idea to mix in some organic fertilizer at the time of planting. | |
| If choosing to plant in containers, you might consider choosing a planter bag made of fabric or sturdy plastic. These flexible bags are great for growing potatoes because they allow the spuds to grow relatively freely. | |
| Whichever method you choose, it’s good to chit your potatoes first. This process is simple: just set the seed potatoes out in a dark spot in your greenhouse to allow them to start developing some sprouts on the eyes! | |
| Lastly, because potatoes are sensitive to freezing temperatures, it’s important to either heat your greenhouse or use frost covers if there are indications that the temperature may fall below freezing. | |
| How to plant seed potatoes | |
| Planting potatoes is incredibly easy. Just keep these tips in mind: | |
| Make sure to only use certified seed potatoes that are disease-resistant and haven’t been treated with sprout inhibitors. | |
| Examine the seed potatoes thoroughly before planting and cut off all symptoms of rot. | |
| Larger seed potatoes can be cut in multiple pieces that have at least 1-2 eyes. Seed potatoes smaller than an egg should be planted whole. | |
| Allow at least 24 hours for cut exteriors to harden before sowing, or the seed potato may rot in moist soil before it has a chance to sprout. | |
| Some gardeners allow the seed potatoes to grow sprouts before planting by leaving them in a dark and warm place 16-29°C. If you do this, be careful not to break the sprouts off when handling. | |
| When planting in a raised bed, plant seed potatoes about 12 inches apart (eye side up!) and space the rows about 3 feet apart. Cover the potatoes with approximately 3-4 inches of soil and water well. | |
| How to care for potatoes in a greenhouse | |
| To ensure a good crop of potatoes, you can’t just leave them alone and forget about them for 4 months. Luckily, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to care for potato plants. | |
| Hilling up potato plants | |
| Unlike most plants, potato plants will develop new roots (and tubers) when the stem gets covered up in a process called “hilling up.” | |
| There are a few reasons why hilling up is important for potatoes. First, if potatoes are exposed to daylight, they will start to turn green. While the chlorophyll isn’t dangerous, it indicates the presence of solanine, a toxic compound that can cause headaches or nausea when consumed. | |
| Another purpose of hilling potatoes is to improve the harvest, as more potatoes will develop along the submerged stem. | |
| The best time to start hilling is when your plants attain a height of 8-12 inches: | |
| Add more soil or compost along both sides of the stem in a hill formation. When growing in containers, simply add more soil to the pot. | |
| Proceed to “earth up” every time the plants are at least 4 inches above the soil. If you are planting in a container, continue hilling until you are up to 2 inches from the top of your container. | |
| Hilling up has the added benefit of preventing weed problems, cooling the soil, and preserving moisture. At the end of the season, you can reuse the soil in the garden or add it to your compost pile. | |
| Water requirements | |
| Your potatoes will rot in the soil if they are overwatered, but that doesn’t mean they should sit dry, either. Make sure to water your potato plants regularly, especially when tuber-formation begins. Remember that soil in containers dries out faster than in raised beds, so be prepared to water more often. | |
| Maintain a moist (but not soggy) soil when the potato plants begin sprouting until a few more weeks after blossoming. Avoid watering too much in the first few weeks after planting to avoid the seed potatoes from rotting or developing disease. | |
| It is best to use rainwater from a water barrel instead of tap water. Tap water usually has a neutral to high pH or alkaline and potatoes grow best in slightly acidic soil with a pH of 5.5. They can develop scab in more alkaline soils. | |
| Soil requirements | |
| Potatoes are heavy feeders, so make sure to plant them in rich soil with organic fertilizer mixed in. Potatoes grow best in an acidic soil between 5 and 5.5, in more alkaline soils potatoes tend to develop scab. You can test your soil pH easily at home, and amend if needed with sulfur or pine needle mulch. | |
| Another tip to get near-perfect skins for your potatoes is to put the compost into a shredder to make a fine blend. | |
| Common potato pests and diseases | |
| One of the most common issues with home-grown potatoes is the development of scab, or rough patches on the skins that are tough and ugly. Potato scab is usually caused by high pH levels in the soil, which can be amended if necessary. | |
| Every potato grower’s worst fear is potato blight, which usually emerges after a period of warm, wet weather. If your greenhouse is particularly warm and humid, you’ll have to keep an eye out for signs of blight. You can grow early potatoes to further reduce the risk, but make sure to always use fresh soil and rotate crops in raised beds. | |
| Aphids are small pests that may feed on foliage and spread viral diseases. They extract fluids from the leaves and stems of your potato plants, which may cause serious damage. Insecticidal soaps are effective at controlling infestations, or you can manually remove the bugs with a jet of water. | |
| Colorado potato beetles can be handpicked or be eaten by birds. If you see more of them, you can apply an organic pesticide at dawn or dusk to prevent hurting beneficial insects. | |
| How to harvest your greenhouse-grown potatoes | |
| Potatoes, especially those of the earlier varieties, take between 80-100 days to mature. Cut off the water supply about a week before the anticipated harvest date. This helps to ensure the soil in your greenhouse or planter is dry enough for harvesting. | |
| After your potato plants start to flower, you can collect some early “new” potatoes. The plant heads will die back eventually, at which point the whole crop can be harvested. Dig gently with a garden fork to avoid puncturing the tubers. | |
| For potatoes grown in containers, simply empty out the soil onto the ground or in a wheelbarrow and separate your potatoes by hand. Ensure you harvest all tubers no more than a few weeks after the vines die back so that the tubers don’t rot in the ground. | |
| Harvest your potatoes on a dry day to simplify your job. A wet soil could mean that you will have to wait until the potatoes are air-dried before placing them into bags or boxes. | |
| Storing your potatoes | |
| Greenhouse-grown potatoes are best eaten the day they’re harvested, but they can be stored if needed. Store potatoes in a cool dry place preferably around 7-16°C for up to a couple of weeks. This will let their skins cure and help them last longer. | |
| Brush off any remaining soil after curing. Don’t wash the potatoes unless you are ready to cook them. Washing them may reduce their shelf life. Place them in a dark and humid place with a temperature of around 3-4°C. | |
| Also, don’t put your potatoes near apples to prevent them from spoiling. Apples contain ethylene gas which makes them ripen faster. Don’t refrigerate your potatoes.""" | |
| "HOW TO GET EARLY POTATOES IN THE GREENHOUSE | |
| At one time the potato was something you would feed the pigs with, but today it is almost like gold, and we fight so valiantly to get the gold and be among the first to get it. You can easily join this fight when you have a greenhouse. | |
| The easiest way to cultivate potatoes in your greenhouse is to use a container. It does not matter whether it is an old rain boot (which by the way can be quite decorative), a large biscuit tin, a plastic bag or a bucket as long as there is a drain in it so the water can drain away. | |
| HOW TO DO IT | |
| Choose an early sort | |
| There are several hundred different varieties of potatoes, but you need to get hold of those that are the earliest to crop. | |
| I will recommend: “Solist”, “Hamlet”, “Frieslander” and “Sofia” | |
| Seed potatoes or your own potatoes | |
| You can use your own potatoes from your garden or table potatoes you have bought. If you choose to use your own from the garden, you must make sure that they are free of diseases. If they are not, they can infect your new potatoes. You can also buy seed potatoes which are not infected with any viruses, but they may have other plant diseases so check that they are healthy-looking before you buy them. Seed potatoes should have a medium size. | |
| Pre-germination | |
| To pre-germinate means that you prepare the potatoes for sprouting. Sometimes the potatoes have already begun this process when you buy them. There are two ways. | |
| The first method says that you can place them somewhere dark and with a temperature of 22 degrees for 14 days. When the shoots are 5 cm long, they are moved to somewhere with more light at a temperature of 15 degrees. Hereafter they are ready to be put outside after a couple of days. | |
| A more common method is to place them somewhere with light at 16 degrees Celsius for 6 weeks. This makes the shoots thick and they do not easily break. But both methods work, and if you want, you can try both and see what works best for you. | |
| Transplant in buckets | |
| When your potatoes have been through the pre-germination process, you can transplant them to buckets. | |
| The benefit of this is that you can take out the buckets in case the potatoes are not ready when you are about to transplant tomatoes. Tomatoes and potatoes together are not a good match. | |
| The first thing I do is to fill the buckets with soil. Then a lump of sheep wool (not a must), the potato on top of the wool and then soil again. Wool is good to store water even when it is being decomposed to fertiliser. | |
| Tips | |
| Boe Jørgensen, an experienced Danish horticulturist, shares the method he uses when cultivating in the greenhouse. | |
| First week in March | |
| Place the pre-germinated potatoes in milk or juice cartons without a bottom and with some topsoil the first week in March and place them in a plastic bucket filled with 5 cm peat. | |
| Plant the potato in the middle of the carton with soil on top and under it. | |
| Soak the soil in the carton and place the bucket somewhere inside the house where the temperature is between 15-20 degrees. | |
| The peat in the bucket should always be fairly moist. | |
| Between 25th and 28th March | |
| Now the potatoes can be transplanted to the greenhouse. This is done in 12 litres buckets with compost. Remember to irrigate. (Boe has an automatic irrigation system). Especially while the potatoes are forming tubers, they should never be in need of water. Potatoes are not frost resistant so if there is a chance of days or nights with frost they must be covered. You can for instance use bubble wrap. One time Boe had to use a warming cable. Alternatively, you can use a greenhouse heater. Should they get damaged by the frost, then the buds will start coming up again, but this will delay the project. | |
| Potatoes are ready to be harvested 15th May. | |
| Duration | |
| From pre-germination to transplantation 5-6 weeks | |
| From planting to harvesting 80-100 days | |
| The potato sort determines the usage | |
| The potatoes that most of us know are the potatoes called table potatoes. | |
| As previously mentioned, there are many potato varieties. And some sorts are more suitable for mash or backed potatoes compared to those you use for boiling or roasted potatoes. If you make backed potatoes, it is best if they are not too firm. And if it is for mashed potatoes, they must be able to become mushy after they are boiled." | |
| "What are the Ideal Conditions for Greenhouse Tomatoes? | |
| Tomatoes grow in relatively warm temperatures, making them the perfect greenhouse crop. Compared to outdoor tomato cultivation, growing in a controlled greenhouses increases yields and quality, reduces pests and diseases, and increases the growing season. | |
| Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables (well, fruit…) in the world. So, it’s no surprise that they’re one of the most common crops in commercial horticulture. In fact, in 2020, over 185 million kgs were grown globally, on over 5 million hectares. | |
| Tomato plants have a relatively short growing season, contrasted by a high demand year-round. Which is one of the main reasons growers around the world choose to grow tomatoes in a greenhouse. | |
| The ability to control the temperature, humidity level, and lighting, allow growers to provide ideal growing conditions throughout the year. In most of the world, this wouldn’t be possible without a controlled environment. | |
| Optimal Growing Conditions for Tomato Crops | |
| Greenhouse cultivation has many benefits, but not without challenges. Cultivating tomatoes in a closed environment requires growers to create the optimal growing conditions, rather than rely on the weather. | |
| This guide will help you provide the ideal tomato growing conditions. It’s important to remember, however, that specific conditions may differ between different tomato varieties. | |
| Ideal Temperature for Tomato Greenhouse | |
| Maintaining the right temperature is one of the most basic functions of greenhouse, regardless of how technological or advanced it is. | |
| Providing optimal temperatures allows the plants to take in and break down nutrients as efficiently as possible. This leads to faster growth and fruit development. If conditions are too cold, or too warm, the plants will experience stress, which affects growth, as well as quality. In a temperature-controlled environment, there’s no reason to reach temperatures outside of the ideal range. | |
| The ideal temperature for tomato cultivation is between 21-27°C (70-82°F). This range is also best during pollination. These temperatures are considered optimal for day time. During the night, tomato crops may enjoy lower temperatures, reaching 16-18°C (62-64°F). | |
| Tomato plants grow best within this range, meaning they will exhibit the quickest development, largest yields, and highest fruit quality. However, depending on the variety, they may be able to grow well between 15-32°C (59-89°F). | |
| The ideal temperature to germinate tomato seeds is between 18-29°C (65-85°F). | |
| Ideal Temperatures for Tomato Cultivation: | |
| Day time – 21-27°C (70-82°F) | |
| Night time – 16-18°C (62-64°F) | |
| Seed germination – 18-29°C (65-85°F) | |
| How to Maintain Optimal Temperatures for Tomatoes | |
| Maintaining the right temperature for tomatoes differs from greenhouse to greenhouse. Some greenhouses are located in warmer climates than others. So, while most greenhouses require heating, some actually need cooling to reach the ideal range. | |
| You can use ducts, heat pumps, boilers, chillers, HVAC, or other forms of air conditioning depending on your local climate. | |
| Ideal Humidity for Tomato Greenhouse | |
| Humidity, like temperature, has a major impact on tomato plants’ growth, development, yield and quality. In order to reach full potential, it’s important to maintain the right relative humidity level, or VPD range. | |
| Outside of the ideal range, plants will struggle to perform physiological tasks, such as taking in nutrients or performing photosynthesis. | |
| When humidity is too high, the tomato plants won’t be able to evaporate water through their stomata. This stops them from being able to take in more water and nutrients from the soil, inhibiting development. | |
| Low humidity, on the other hand, will lead to water stress. In this case, the stomata close, in order to retain water. This has a similar effect, in which the plant shuts down important processes, slowing down growth and development. | |
| It’s also important to note that many common diseases and mildews develop in high humidity, including botrytis and powdery mildew. So, maintaining ideal humidity levels also protects against diseases and reduces crop loss. | |
| The optimal relative humidity level for tomatoes is between 60-85% RH. However, you can improve growth further by dialing in different relative humidity set points for night and day. | |
| During the day, tomato plants may enjoy higher humidity levels of 80-85% RH. However, during the night, when the plants are less active, humidity levels of 65-75% are ideal. | |
| The ideal relative humidity level for pollination is around 70%. In higher humidity, pollen may stick together, making it harder to disperse. In lower humidity, the plants’ stigma tends to dry out, reducing its ability to collect pollen. | |
| In terms of VPD, the ideal range for tomatoes is generally between 0.5-0.8 kPa. However, higher VPD levels may be better during later developmental stages, such as flowering. In these stages optimal VPD levels can reach 1.2 kPa. | |
| Ideal Relative Humidity & VPD for Tomato Cultivation: | |
| Day time – 60-85% RH | |
| Night time – 65-75% RH | |
| Pollination – 70% RH | |
| VPD – 0.5-1.2 kPa | |
| How to Maintain Optimal Humidity for Tomatoes | |
| It’s important to note that tomato crops, like all plants, release water vapor. So, in fact, they increase the humidity levels around them. In a closed environment, this will inevitably lead to high humidity. | |
| Humidity is a complex issue. There are numerous factors that impact it. So it may be difficult to predict relative humidity levels at all times, throughout the growing space. Some factors that directly affect humidity include temperatures, grow lights, irrigation systems and airflow. | |
| In most cases, greenhouse growers will need to reduce humidity, rather than increase it. There are two main methods to do so – through heating and ventilation, or through dehumidification. | |
| Heating and venting is the traditional way greenhouse operators deal with humidity. It involves opening up windows and vents, in order to let the humid air out. | |
| However, releasing air from inside and introducing outdoor air affects the conditions inside. In most cases, the air outside is cooler, meaning it lowers the temperature inside the greenhouse. That means you need more heating to compensate for the heat loss. | |
| Heating and venting may be useful and even efficient when weather outside is fair. However, this method is highly inefficient in cold, humid, or rainy conditions, requiring a lot of additional heating just to maintain temperatures. Additionally, this method might not work in high humidity or rain, leaving growers with no solution. | |
| So, in most climates, the only way to fully control humidity and ensure ideal conditions, is to use dedicated dehumidifiers. Dehumidification systems that are designed for greenhouse use provide the most comprehensive and energy efficient way to control humidity. In fact, using DryGair has been found to save an average of 50% on total energy consumption, compared to ventilation. | |
| Use Air Circulation to Further Improve Conditions | |
| Another important part of humidity control is air flow. While maintaining an overall ideal humidity level is crucial, conditions can vary throughout the greenhouse. Most importantly, humidity may be higher between densely placed plants, or inside the foliage. | |
| These pockets of humid air are known as microclimates. They can be detrimental to tomato plants, slowing down growth and leading to disease outbreaks. This is especially problematic with grown tomato plants, due to the high amounts of foliage. | |
| Different types of tomato crops may be more at risk from this issue, such as determinate tomatoes with many side shoots. However, indeterminate varieties aren’t risk-free, and still require comprehensive humidity control. | |
| Maintaining constant air movement helps disperse these microclimates. But not all airflow is equally effective. | |
| Air circulation is a type of airflow in which the air is circulated throughout the entire space. As opposed to simple horizontal or vertical fans, air circulation doesn’t create multiple competing airflow directions. Rather, it creates cohesive air movement. This doesn’t just disperse humid microclimates, but also creates uniform conditions throughout the entire space. | |
| All DryGair units include a patented air circulation module that ensures ideal conditions at all points in the greenhouse. This is a critical part of tomato cultivation, significantly reducing common disease outbreaks, such as botrytis. | |
| Additional Tips for Greenhouse Tomato Cultivation | |
| Creating ideal growing conditions is key to producing large yields of high-quality tomatoes. | |
| However, there are additional things you can do to further improve growth, prevent diseases, and save money by reducing energy costs. | |
| Avoid Wet Surfaces | |
| Some of the most common molds and mildews require water in order to develop. So, the most effective way to avoid these detrimental diseases is by avoiding the presence of water in your greenhouse. | |
| There are two ways in which free water reaches the greenhouse. First, is through irrigation. When plants are watered from above, some of the water remains on the leaves and fruit. Under these conditions, disease development and spreading are very likely. | |
| To prevent plants from getting wet, water or add the nutrient solution straight to the soil or potting mix. | |
| The second way in which water appears in the greenhouse is through high humidity. When relative humidity reaches 100%, water starts to condense on various surfaces, including railings, equipment, and even on the plants themselves. | |
| However, proper humidity control and air circulation prevent this condensation from occurring. | |
| Keep Space Between Plants | |
| High humidity and wet plants become increasingly problematic the more crowded the greenhouse is. When plants overlap, they prevent air from flowing between the leaves and increase the amount of moisture within the foliage. This makes it incredibly difficult to maintain ideal humidity levels between the leaves, where it matters most. | |
| So, in order to be able to control conditions, it’s important to have enough space between plants. | |
| Of course, this can work both ways. Proper dehumidification reduces the overall humidity level and provides powerful air circulation, allowing you to decrease the space between plants. It’s all about creating the right balance for your growing facility." | |
| "How Long Does it Take to Grow Tomatoes? | |
| We’re sometimes asked how long it takes to grow tomatoes. It’s a good question, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to answer it here. With a Click & Grow smart garden, you can produce a mini tomato harvest starting from 98 days after planting. | |
| In this article we’ll look at some key things to remember when growing tomatoes indoors and outdoors. | |
| Growing tomatoes in a smart indoor garden | |
| If this is your first time growing Click & Grow mini tomatoes, here’s a quick timeline of what to expect at each growth stage. A Click & Grow mini tomato plant pod contains pre-gardened tomato seeds. The optimum indoor room temperature for growing mini tomatoes is 68°F – 95°F. | |
| 7 - 21 days: When sprouts appear, thin your tomato seedlings to one per pod. This will help your plant get the space, light and nutrients it needs. | |
| 22 - 39 days: Stake tomato plants when they’re young. It will help them grow upright and bear the weight of their fruit later on. | |
| 40 - 60 days: You’ll start to notice yellow flowers on your plant. Be sure to pollinate them by shaking the plant to mimic a bee. Alternatively, use your index finger or a small brush to transfer pollen from one blossom to another. | |
| 61 - 72 days: Don’t be alarmed if you notice yellow petals falling off. Not every flower produces fruit but you’ll be rewarded with some delicious tomatoes later on. | |
| 73 - 89 days: Around this time your plant will produce tomatoes that look green. They won’t turn red until they reach maturity. | |
| 90 - 110 days: Your plant will start to produce beautiful ripe tomatoes. Once they’re red, they’re ready to eat, although the taste becomes even sweeter if you let them continue to grow for another 1-2 weeks. | |
| Enjoy every bite knowing your Click and Grow Mini tomatoes have 2.5 times more antioxidative activity and 2 times more lycopene than any other type of tomato! | |
| For more plant tips, be sure to download the Click & Grow mobile app. Simply register your smart garden and plant on the app and we’ll send you tips to guide you through each stage of your plant’s life cycle. | |
| Growing tomatoes outdoors | |
| Growing tomatoes outdoors is a little more complicated and there are a few things to keep in mind. After transplanting young plants to their final growing spot, it usually takes anywhere from 60 days to more than 100 days before you can harvest your tomatoes. | |
| Before growing varieties of tomatoes outside, the first thing to do is make sure you live in a tomato-friendly climate. Tomatoes grow best when the temperature is between 65°F and 85°F during the day. They stop growing if the temperature reaches above 95°F. If you live somewhere with a short growing season, it may be worth starting your plants indoors and transplanting them when the weather warms up. | |
| Click & Grow smart gardens (particularly the Smart Garden 9), are suitable for pre-growing tomato seedlings indoors. You can then plant them outdoors when they’re ready to move out. We offer experimental pods which enable you to do just that. For instance, you can pre-grow tomatoes in your indoor garden during spring and later plant them in a greenhouse once it’s warm enough. | |
| Two of the most popular tomatoes to grow are globe tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. Globe tomatoes are the most common type of tomato - deep red and full sized. Cherry tomatoes are their miniature, bite-sized counterparts. | |
| When researching which tomatoes to plant, it’s also worth noting the difference between determinate tomatoes and indeterminate tomatoes. Determinate tomato plants stop growing at a certain height, whereas indeterminate varieties continue to grow and produce tomatoes throughout the growing season. | |
| Tomato plants are usually started indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date for your area. Transplant them outdoors when the soil reaches about 60°F. | |
| Tomatoes require soil that’s well drained and rich in nutrients. The best tomatoes are still grown in traditional ways by people who understand what they're doing, so if you're trying this for the first time, don’t be shy to ask around and see if there are some experienced vegetable gardeners who will mentor you. | |
| Here are some quick tips for getting started: | |
| Choose a spot where tomatoes will get at least 8 hours of sun every day. | |
| Prepare the soil by digging it up, removing rocks, weeds and roots and adding compost to it. Add organic fertilizer too if you want to increase the yield of your tomato plants. | |
| Spread the seeds out on top of the soil, about 1 inch apart from each corner to corner. | |
| Water your seeds every day until they sprout. | |
| Watch as your tomato seedlings grow up from the ground. | |
| Nutrition | |
| Did you know that tomatoes are made up of about 95% water? They’re undeniably low in carbs. The bulk of their carbohydrates are made up of simple sugars and insoluble fibers. | |
| Tomatoes are also a great source of dietary fiber. An average sized tomato provides you with 1.5 grams of fiber. In addition to that, tomatoes are natural sources of vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium and folate. | |
| Studies suggest that tomatoes may improve heart health. An example of this is how tomato products can fight inflammation and signs of oxidative stress. There’s also research that suggests tomatoes promote skin health. For instance, tomato-based foods that are rich in lycopene may protect against sunburn." | |
| "General Advice | |
| Potatoes always do best in full sun. They are aggressively rooting plants, and we find that they will produce the best crop when planted in a light, loose, well-drained soil. Potatoes prefer a slightly acid soil with a PH of 5.0 to 7.0. Fortunately potatoes are very adaptable and will almost always produce a respectable crop, even when the soil conditions and growing seasons are less than perfect. | |
| Always keep your potato patch weed-free for best results. Potatoes should be rotated in the garden, never being grown in the same spot until there has been a 3-4 year absence of potatoes. | |
| When to Plant Potatoes | |
| Potatoes may be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in the early spring, but keep soil temperatures in mind. Potato plants will not begin to grow until the soil temperature has reached 45 degrees F. The soil should be moist, but not water-logged. | |
| Potatoes can tolerate a light frost, but you should provide some frost protection for the plants if you know that a hard, late season freeze is coming. If you want to extend storage times, and have a long growing season, you can plant a second crop as late as June 15 and harvest the potatoes as late as possible. | |
| Cutting Potatoes Before Planting | |
| A week or two before your planting date, set your seed potatoes in an area where they will be exposed to light and temperatures between 60-70 degrees F. This will begin the sprouting process. A day or two before planting, use a sharp, clean knife to slice the larger seed potatoes into smaller pieces. Each piece should be approximately 2 inches square, and must contain at least 1 or 2 eyes or buds. Plant smaller potatoes whole. A good rule of thumb is to plant potatoes whole if they are smaller in size than a golf ball. In a day or so your seed will form a thick callous over the cuts, which will help prevent rotting. | |
| Planting Potatoes in the Garden | |
| We find that potatoes are best grown in rows. To begin with, dig a trench that is 6-8 inches deep. Plant each piece of potato (cut side down, with the eyes pointing up) every 12-15 inches, with the rows spaced 3 feet apart. If your space is limited or if you would like to grow only baby potatoes, you can decrease the spacing between plants. | |
| To begin with only fill the trench in with 4 inches of soil. Let the plants start to grow and then continue to fill in the trench and even mound the soil around the plants as they continue to grow. Prior to planting, always make sure to cultivate the soil one last time. This will remove any weeds and will loosen the soil and allow the plants to become established more quickly. | |
| How to Water Potatoes | |
| Keep your potato vines well watered throughout the summer, especially during the period when the plants are flowering and immediately following the flowering stage. During this flowering period the plants are creating their tubers and a steady water supply is crucial to good crop outcome. Potatoes do well with 1-2 inches of water or rain per week. When the foliage turns yellow and begins to die back, discontinue watering. This will help start curing the potatoes for harvest time. | |
| When to Harvesting Potatoes | |
| Baby potatoes typically can be harvested 2-3 weeks after the plants have finished flowering. Gently dig around the plants to remove potatoes for fresh eating, being careful not to be too intrusive. Try to remove the biggest new potatoes and leave the smaller ones in place so they can continue to grow. Only take what you need for immediate eating. Homegrown new potatoes are a luxury and should be used the same day that they are dug. | |
| Potatoes that are going to be kept for storage should not be dug until 2-3 weeks after the foliage dies back. Carefully dig potatoes with a sturdy fork and if the weather is dry, allow the potatoes to lay in the field, unwashed, for 2-3 days. This curing step allows the skins to mature and is essential for good storage. If the weather during harvest is wet and rainy, allow the potatoes to cure in a dry protected area like a garage or covered porch. | |
| Storage Conditions | |
| At Seed Savers Exchange. we are able to store potatoes well into the spring in our underground root cellar. Try to find a storage area that is well ventilated, dark, and cool. The ideal temperature is between 35 and 40 degrees F. Keep in mind that some varieties are better keepers than others. Varieties like Red Gold and Rose Gold are best used in the fall, and others like Carola and Russets are exceptional keepers. | |
| Saving Seed Stock | |
| Home gardeners can save seed for several generations. Save the very best potatoes for planting. You may find that after several years the size begins to decrease; this is typical. Potatoes are very susceptible to viruses. If you are looking for maximum yields it is best to start with fresh, USDA Certified Seed Stock every year. | |
| In collaboration with University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers, SSE is working to eradicate viruses from heritage potatoes in order to safely preserve potato genetic diversity and to offer high quality seed potatoes." | |
| "How Long Do Potatoes Take To Grow? | |
| It’s safe to say that growers love to watch their crops grow. We wait patiently for each sprout to mature and produce perfectly ripe fruit or vegetables. But when it comes to root vegetables, we can’t just watch and wait. We have to time the harvest just right. Pull your produce too early, and you’re stuck with unripe, tiny veggies. Wait too long and you take a risk of the crop being overripe – or even beginning to rot underground. | |
| How long do potatoes take to grow? | |
| Many things influence how long potatoes take to grow. Variables such as the potato variety, climate, seed preparation, and amount of fertilizer all play a part. Taking all these things into account, the average length of the growing season for potatoes is between 90 to 120 days, or 3 to 4 months. | |
| The following factors all have their part to play in how it takes potatoes to grow | |
| Choosing early, mid-season, or maincrop varieties | |
| The climate of your country | |
| Seed preparations such as chitting | |
| Potato planting date | |
| Desired size at harvest | |
| Choosing early, mid-season, or maincrop varieties | |
| There are three main types of potato varieties and, while some are ready in just under 3 months, some take an extra month to mature. Early varieties or new potatoes will be harvested earlier in the year than maincrop. | |
| Early varieties do not necessarily mean they grow faster – just that they are ready earlier in the year. The same goes for mid-season and maincrop. All potatoes take roughly the same amount of time to grow it’s just that their planting dates determine the time of year they are ready to harvest. | |
| Earlies | |
| Early potatoes planted in mid-February may only be ready by the middle of July which is around 112 days. It may be possible to harvest at 100 days in warmer climates or if they grow really well. | |
| You can start harvesting them as soon as the first large tubers appear – these tender young spuds can be very tasty. Their thin skin means the potatoes need to be eaten within a few days or they will spoil. | |
| Mid-season | |
| Usually, mid-season potatoes are planted in mid-March and ready by August again around 120 days. A mid-season potato is deemed mid-season as this is the optimum time of year the variety has been bred to grow. | |
| Maincrop | |
| Maincrop or late-season potatoes take between 100 to 120 days to grow and mature. They are usually the highest-yielding potato varieties and are designed to grow to full maturity and have thick skin for long-term storage. | |
| Maincrop potatoes are bred to mature later in the year so they are harvested in colder weather, enabling farmers to use the colder months to store them well. | |
| The climate of your country | |
| The first thing you’ll need to consider is your local climate. Potatoes don’t like very warm weather. This means that you can begin planting as soon as the danger of frost has passed and you’re able to work the soil. | |
| In more Northern regions, it can be a gamble to plant early potatoes earlier than March. But you can cover young shoots with plastic containers, burlap sheeting, or mulch overnight to protect them from late frosts. | |
| Temperature | |
| On the other hand, if you live in a very hot climate, you may need to plant earlier – like in December or January. You may need to avoid the extreme heat of summer – it can wreak havoc on your crop. | |
| Closer to the Equator, potatoes are even grown as a winter crop and you may be planting in November or December. | |
| It’s really all about the soil – we need both the right temperature and humidity levels. | |
| At planting the soil temperature should be at least 10°C (50°F). It should also be dry enough not to stick together – not only will clumpy soil be hard to plant in, but seed potatoes can rot if the soil is too wet. | |
| Sunlight | |
| Your potatoes will grow best in a sunny location with cool, loose, well-drained soil. The ideal temperature range is 16 to 20 degrees Celcius. Plant your potatoes away from high trees or hedges which prevent sunlight from getting to the plants. | |
| Rainfall | |
| If your climate has low rainfall, you will most likely need to water your potato crop. Growing potatoes require at least an inch of rain a week to grow well. | |
| Do all potato varieties take the same time to grow? More or less. Most potatoes can be harvested between 90 and 110 days after planting. | |
| Seed preparations such as chitting | |
| If planting earlies, you should prepare your seed potatoes ahead of planting by “chitting” them. Find a warm frost-free place that is quite dark. Stand your seed potatoes in an egg carton or seedling tray with the rose end (where you see the most eyes, or small dents) pointing up. | |
| When the shoots are about 2 cm (1”) long, prepare them for planting, by bringing them into the daylight where the buds will go from white and brittle to soft and green – perfect for planting with. | |
| This method can also be useful for maincrop potatoes. You can begin the process indoors while there is still frost in the garden. This lets you get a jumpstart on the growing season. | |
| Potato planting date | |
| Planting time varies, depending on your location and the type of potato you’re growing. In colder regions, you’ll want to plant slightly later, and in warmer climates, you can plant a little earlier. If growing in containers, then you can also plant anytime as you will be indoors. | |
| As a general rule, early potatoes should be planted by March. Mid-season varieties are typically planted by April and maincrop late-season potatoes by the end of May. | |
| While healthy potato plants can tolerate light frosts or even a mild freeze, they can’t survive hard freezes. Potatoes should be planted in cool weather – after the danger of freezing has passed, but well before hot weather sets in for the summer. | |
| Potato size at harvesting | |
| Early potatoes are harvested from late June onwards and maincrop potatoes are harvested from September onwards. | |
| A good rule of thumb is 100-120 days after planting. You can also watch your potato plants for signs that your crop is ready to harvest. | |
| You can begin to harvest earlier if you prefer smaller potatoes or you can leave them in the soil for longer if you prefer larger potatoes. | |
| You can check for new potatoes a few weeks after the plants have finished flowering. With their thin skins, these baby potatoes won’t be cured or stored, so only pull enough for 2-3 days, and be sure to store them somewhere cool. | |
| When the foliage begins to yellow and die back, your potatoes will be almost ready. You can stop watering your crop at this point, and when the plant tops have completely died, you can begin to harvest the potatoes. | |
| When growing with optimum fertilizer rates, your potatoes may begin to get too big. You may need to stop the crop growing by spraying with a crop desiccant or cut the tops down to soil level. | |
| Digging your potatoes | |
| Start by digging up a test hill to determine if your potatoes are mature enough to harvest. The skins of mature potatoes are thick and firmly attached to the flesh. If the skins are thin and rub off easily, your potatoes should be left in the ground for a few more days if you intend to store them | |
| Remember that although potatoes can tolerate a light frost, you will need to dig them out before the first hard frost is expected. You shouldn’t wash newly dug potatoes – the freshly harvested tubers need time to cure and for the skins to dry before they can be stored. | |
| You can cure your crop by arranging the potatoes to have good airflow through them and allowing them to sit at room temperature for about two weeks. Once cured, the potatoes can be stored in a cool, dark place for 6 months or more. | |
| Factors affecting maturity | |
| As mentioned earlier, chitting or pre-sprouting your potatoes will help cut the outdoor growing time by at least a couple of weeks. | |
| Covering your young potatoes at planting can help them become established as well as protect them from late frosts. You can use plastic containers, mulch, or even an old blanket. Leaving your potatoes vulnerable to frost can definitely lengthen maturation times, and also puts them at risk of dying. | |
| Using fertilizer will also help your plants grow well and increase their yield. You should add a suitable potato fertiliser when planting your seed potatoes. If you feel they are lacking in size later in the year – say at flowering – you can add more if you feel they need it. The fertiliser can be homemade fertiliser or bought in. | |
| A note about adding a large amount of fertiliser is that it can extend the growing season of the potato. So although your potatoes will be bigger, they can take longer to mature. | |
| Summary | |
| Before you put any potatoes in the ground you should have the season ahead planned from planting to harvest. You should know the type of potatoes, if they’ll be chitted, when they should be planted, how much fertilizer you’ll use, and when they should be ready to harvest. Salad or baby potatoes will take the shortest length of time to grow at around 80 days, then early and mid-season varieties at 90 to 100 days, and finally maincrop potatoes which can take 100 to 120 days on average. Good luck!" | |
| "Agrico Potato Services Africa Limited | |
| Tel: +254 742 844 207 | |
| Email: info@agrico.co.ke | |
| www.agrico.co.ke | |
| Agrico PSA Potato growing guide for farmers in Kenya | |
| Potato farming can be a great venture if done well. Sadly, many farmers do not have | |
| the right information on how to manage their potato farm and get maximum yields. The | |
| purpose of this Potato Growing Guide is to share our experience growing potatoes in | |
| Kenya successfully, and help farmers understand the basic needs and inputs for good | |
| potato farming so that potato farming becomes enjoyable and profitable. | |
| SEEDS: | |
| When you use good and certified healthy seeds your crop will perform better and you | |
| should expect higher yields than from uncertified or recycled seed. | |
| Please note, some people will speak of ‘clean seed’; it is never clean and disease-free | |
| until lab analysis by KEPHIS confirms so. Therefore, we always recommend, to buy | |
| certified seed. | |
| When collecting the seeds from the seed merchant Agrico PSA, the farmer is advised | |
| not to store the seed for more than 5 days. | |
| Potatoes should not be stored in a space where other potatoes are kept, where other | |
| foodstocks, chemicals or fertilizers are kept. The storage space needs to be | |
| disinfected prior to use. | |
| If potatoes are stored temporarily, it should be in a dry, dark, very well-ventilated place | |
| where temperatures don’t go below 10 degrees or above 20 degrees, and the potatoes | |
| can not be affected by rodents or insects, or other elements of nature. | |
| Be careful when transporting your seeds. Do not transport potato seeds in an open | |
| truck. If it rains and the potatoes get wet, they can start rotting within 24 hours. | |
| Potatoes should not be transported in a truck together with any other products, | |
| especially with ripening fruits. Fruits emit high levels of ethylene, which can damage | |
| the sprouts and stop the potatoes from germinating. Potatoes should not be | |
| transported in a truck that carries or has carried fruits a day before. | |
| If that is the case, make sure the truck is cleaned and keep the doors open for a long | |
| time to reduce the level of ethylene prior to loading. | |
| Just plant one variety in the field or, in case of more varieties, have them properly | |
| separated for easy management. Different varieties may mature at different times, or | |
| may need different agronomical management. Note that there is no risk of cross | |
| pollination in potatoes. | |
| The temperature of the seeds shouldn’t be too low. If too low the seeds will take a | |
| longer time before germinating. Agrico PSA supplies the seed at the right temperature, | |
| and farmers can store it above 12 degrees Celsius for maximum 5 days. | |
| Agrico Potato Services Africa Limited | |
| Tel: +254 742 844 207 | |
| Email: info@agrico.co.ke | |
| www.agrico.co.ke | |
| We advise the farmer not to de-sprout the seeds if the sprouts are more than 1cms. | |
| This is to prevent uneven growth and yield reduction. We also discourage splitting of | |
| seed in two or four, a practice sometimes done by farmers. This practice can cause a | |
| lot of viral and other disease transmission. | |
| GOOD SEEDS ARE EXPENSIVE TO BUY, BUT WILL ASSURE YOU OF A GOOD CROP! | |
| All farmers are advised to buy seeds from a certified seed multiplier. Agrico PSA’s | |
| varieties are restricted by plant breeders’ rights from re-multiplying for seed use by | |
| unauthorized parties. Those who buy Agrico PSA varieties and re-multiply them to sell | |
| to farmers as seed stand to be reported to KEPHIS and shall face the law. | |
| FIELD: | |
| Have a good crop-rotation, just once in four years potatoes on the same field, | |
| otherwise the number of nematodes will increase. Fields for ware production should | |
| be free from nematodes! If no other alternatives, use a nematicide (nematode killing | |
| or disabling chemical) before or simultaneously at planting. Chemicals can be Velum | |
| prime (Bayer). | |
| The same principle of crop rotation applies to the risk of bacterial wilt, which is | |
| becoming a big challenge in many parts of the country. Once you have bacterial wilt | |
| in your farm, you will hardly get rid of it and experience significant decrease in yields | |
| plus a hardly sellable end product. | |
| The fields from which you will harvest your potatoes, can be planted with other crops | |
| that are not botanically related to potatoes. Potatoes are in the Solanacea family, other | |
| crops in this family are e.g. tomatoes, capsicums, nightshade (managu), tobacco, | |
| eggplant, but also weeds like sodom apple. Cereals and legumes are the best to rotate | |
| with potatoes for better pest/disease cycle disruption. | |
| Besides nematodes and bacterial wilt, it is useful to check the pH level of the field. The | |
| pH plays a significant role in the availability of microelements. | |
| SOIL TESTING & FERTILIZER: | |
| Find out about the nutrients in the soil by doing soil sampling, and check for the | |
| following nutrients: | |
| Nitrogen: Nitrogen is important in fueling growth and providing high yields. It ensures | |
| optimal photosynthate production in leaves. Nitrogen is important in fuelling growth | |
| Agrico Potato Services Africa Limited | |
| Tel: +254 742 844 207 | |
| Email: info@agrico.co.ke | |
| www.agrico.co.ke | |
| and providing high yields. It is largely needed during leaf formation and then for tuber | |
| growth and yield, when it ensures optimal photosynthate production in the leaves.1 | |
| Phosphorus: Phosphorus is important for early root and shoot development, | |
| providing energy for plant processes such as ion uptake and transport. At tuber | |
| initiation, an adequate supply of phosphorus ensures supplies of optimum numbers | |
| of tubers are formed. While potatoes are very responsive to fresh soil phosphate, the | |
| economic optimum rate is often very difficult to define. Rates will depend on soil type | |
| and soil test results. | |
| 2 | |
| Potassium: Potassium plays a key role in water relations and good overall plant | |
| health. Potato plants absorb large quantities of potassium throughout the growing | |
| season. Potassium has an important role in the control of the plant water status and | |
| ionic concentrations inside plant tissues, including stomata. As a result of the | |
| improved cell strength that potassium provides in potatoes, stress such as frost can | |
| be better tolerated. | |
| 3 | |
| Calcium: Calcium is a key component of cell walls, helping to build a strong | |
| structure and ensuring cell stability. Internal disorders such as IRS (internal rust spot | |
| or internal brown spot - IBS) can be reduced by a good calcium supply, in the form of | |
| calcium nitrate, at ridging or during tuber initiation. Experience shows that ensuring | |
| there is a minimum of 0.15% calcium in the peel, improves potato skin finish, boosts | |
| disease tolerance and minimizes IRS. | |
| 4 | |
| The required amount of nutrients and fertilisers differs per potato variety, but also | |
| available potash in the soil, expected crop, and weather conditions. All nutrients, | |
| especially the major ones being N, P, and K, should be added in good balance as per | |
| your soil analysis, to avoid irregular feeding. Irregular feeding can lead to tuber cracks | |
| and hollow hearts, just like may happen if moisture is irregular during THE growing | |
| season. Calcium, Magnesium, Sulphur, and Borium are considered as part of the most | |
| secondary essential nutrients, just like NPK. | |
| A potato crop needs to be given nutrition ideally three times during the crop cycle. | |
| About 60% of the nutrition demand lies at planting and should be given to the plant | |
| with a base fertilizer at planting, 20% to come during top dressing at 5 weeks after | |
| germination during tuberisation, and another 20% of nutrition needs to be given | |
| through top dress or foliar feed at 8-9 weeks. | |
| The recommended pH level for potatoes is 6.2. However, from a soil with pH of 5.0 | |
| you can still grow potatoes, but then add lime to the soils. | |
| 1 https://www.yara.us/crop-nutrition/potato/role-of-nitrogen/ | |
| 2 https://www.yara.us/crop-nutrition/potato/role-of-phosphorus/ | |
| 3 https://www.yara.us/crop-nutrition/potato/role-of-potassium/ | |
| 4 https://www.yara.us/crop-nutrition/potato/role-of-calcium/ | |
| Agrico Potato Services Africa Limited | |
| Tel: +254 742 844 207 | |
| Email: info@agrico.co.ke | |
| www.agrico.co.ke | |
| As said before, only once in four years potatoes in a field must be the rule. This also | |
| means that volunteer potatoes in other crops during rotation should be taken out in the | |
| three years without potatoes. If you don’t take out volunteer plants, bacteria and | |
| nematodes can stay alive. The volunteer plants can also become a source of diseases, | |
| such as blight or insects. | |
| Also, the weeds that host bacterial wilt must be destroyed in those three years. This is | |
| the only way to get rid of this disease, together with the use of clean seeds of course. | |
| Be aware also of infections from other fields (clean your boots, jembe, machines, | |
| tractor / car wheels). Farmers can use Kerrol or comparable products to disinfect. | |
| LAND PREPARATION BEFORE PLANTING: | |
| The field should be leveled, otherwise in the deeper parts water logging can occur | |
| which will affect your plants and reduce yields. | |
| Prepare the soil before planting in a way that will give you about 28-30 cm of loose | |
| soil in the depth. | |
| When you want to have a nice and equal field with plants it is good to grade the seeds | |
| into several sizes. In Kenya we have 2 seed sizes; Size 1 is 28-45mm (egg size) and | |
| Size 2 is 45-60mm (fist size). | |
| Try to work properly with the row-distances of 75cms; it makes the ridging much easier. | |
| Place the seed just under the ground and make a little ridge above it, so that the seeds | |
| are just below the surface. It is important all seeds are planted at same depth to ensure | |
| even germination and ease of harvesting. | |
| When you want to do your land preparations mechanically, we suggest you use a | |
| horizontal working rotovator to ensure you get enough loose soil for the 30cms depth. | |
| In case you have been working your land with a disc plough for many seasons, you | |
| may have a hard pan right under the top soil. You will need to break this hard pan | |
| using either a ripper or a chisel plough. This will allow for better root penetration for | |
| your potato, but also other crops resulting in a stronger, healthier crop and eventually | |
| higher yields and higher quality tubers. This should translate into more profit for the | |
| farmer. At the same having good loose soil also means better aerated soil and better | |
| drainage of water. | |
| If you are using a tractor for planting, use narrow wheels to avoid destroying your | |
| ridges, or having a lot of space between the ridges. You can use a bed-former or | |
| moulding board or ridger first, and then plant your seeds in the ridges, not in the | |
| furrows. | |
| Avoid working with machinery on wet soils, lest you create a hard pan. | |
| Agrico Potato Services Africa Limited | |
| Tel: +254 742 844 207 | |
| Email: info@agrico.co.ke | |
| www.agrico.co.ke | |
| The best planting method for can be demonstrated to you by one of our technical staff | |
| on the date of seed collection, if given advance notice. | |
| In order to control erosion and damage from heavy rains, it is advisable for the farmer | |
| to dig small water holes in between the ridges. These holes will hold water and soil in | |
| case of very heavy rains. You can dig about 2-3 holes per meter, about 10cms or 6 | |
| inches deep, in between your ridges. This will also help with water retention in case of | |
| drought. | |
| PLANTING DISTANCES: | |
| The distance of the plants in the row depends on the size of the seeds and also on the | |
| variety. Good grading and even separation of tubers at planting will optimize the crop | |
| and result in better yields for the farmer, therefore more profitable potato farming. | |
| For ware potato growing, an average of 18 stems per square meter are required (3 – | |
| 5 stems per meter in the row) at a row width of 75cm. | |
| Seed size Tuber diameter Avg # of stems Planting distance within the row | |
| (seed to seed) | |
| Size 1 28-45mm 3-4 25 - 30 cms | |
| Size 2 45-60mm 4-6 30 – 35 cms | |
| NB: May vary depending on variety&field conditions, ask the AgricoPSA agronomist for advise | |
| If you follow the recommended spacing as above ranging from 25 - 35cms between | |
| the tubers, and 75cms between the rows, you will need about 800 – 1,000kgs (16-20 | |
| bags) of seed size 1 and 1,000 – 1,500 (20-30 bags) of seed size 2 to cover 1 acre. | |
| The targeted plant population per acre is about 18,000 plants. | |
| RIDGING: | |
| Ridging or hilling up the soil around the potato plant, helps the farmer in many ways. | |
| One is controlling weeds. The best moment to re-ridge is when the new plant is just | |
| emerging, at the 4-8 leave stage. If there are weeds at this stage, you can cover them | |
| together with the potato plant, and they will not be strong enough to re-emerge, | |
| contrary to your potato plant. | |
| A second reason for re-ridging is to give the new tubers more space to grow. | |
| A big ridge also protects your tubers from growing out of the ridge onto the surface | |
| area, and as a result becoming green because of exposure to sunlight. Green tubers | |
| are not suitable for consumption, they are poisonous! | |
| Manual (re)ridging can be done with a jembe or hoe, where you dig some loose soil | |
| from the furrow and put it on top of the ridge. The soil you heap to form a ridge also | |
| plays an important role to protect the young roots and stolons from the scorching sun | |
| when there are no rains. The trenches between ridges helps in harvesting the water | |
| Agrico Potato Services Africa Limited | |
| Tel: +254 742 844 207 | |
| Email: info@agrico.co.ke | |
| www.agrico.co.ke | |
| during the rains, thus keeping your soil most until another rainfall. Always be careful | |
| not to cut the stolons and roots when digging up the soil for ridging; they grow very | |
| close to the surface and if you damage them a lower yield will be the result. | |
| Ridging / hilling up is making a nice wide and high ridge. If the planting has been done | |
| properly just 2cms of soil will be added on top of the original ridge. Never bury new | |
| plants deeper than 4cms, as this may stress or suffocate the plant and will bring an | |
| enormous decrease in yield. Do not ridge on very wet, or very dry, soils. Moderate soil | |
| moisture is necessary for good firm ridges. | |
| When using a tractor, you need narrow wheels to ensure you do not break or destroy | |
| the ridges with the tyres. | |
| IRRIGATION: | |
| For a good and regular growth, the potato plant requires a sufficient water supply, | |
| especially when the stolons (off shoots of the main roots where the potatoes are | |
| attached) are developing and the number of tubers is established. When the soil is dry | |
| during this period fewer tubers will be created. The ultimate way is the use of dripirrigation, this way the plant has sufficient water all the time, no water is spoiled by | |
| evaporation and the soil condition stays good. In some soils the use of sprinkler | |
| irrigation will compact the soil so oxygen becomes a problem and the potatoes grow | |
| slowly and harvesting becomes difficult. | |
| If you are able to manage your time well and it is practical, we recommend irrigation | |
| to be done late afternoon to avoid a lot of evaporation. | |
| WEED CONTROL: | |
| Weed control can be done by hand, just be careful about the potato roots. | |
| For chemical control, there are several methods and products that can be used. | |
| Chemical use to control weeds should be subject to which weeds the farmer | |
| experiences in his field. Farmers can call the representatives of agro-chemical | |
| companies, or the Agrico agronomist for a referral, to get advise on the chemicals that | |
| can control weeds on the different Agrico seed varieties. | |
| Always read the label of any chemical you intend to use, and seek expert advise | |
| whenever possible. | |
| Also remember to wear the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when | |
| using chemicals. A proper PPE should consist of boots, spray suit, gloves, glasses / | |
| goggles, mask. | |
| Ensure you also safely dispose of the empty chemical containers after use; best is to | |
| ask the chemical company representative to come and collect, or return empty bottles | |
| to your agrovet. | |
| Agrico Potato Services Africa Limited | |
| Tel: +254 742 844 207 | |
| Email: info@agrico.co.ke | |
| www.agrico.co.ke | |
| WARNING: between spraying of different kinds of chemicals, always have at least 4 | |
| days interval between the sprays, especially when mineral oil is used! Manual weeding | |
| is recommended. | |
| DISEASE PREVENTION: | |
| Prevention & Treatment of Late Blight5 | |
| : | |
| When you are using certified seed from | |
| Agrico PSA the prevention of fungi is | |
| important especially Late Blight is commonly | |
| observed. Late blight is caused by the funguslike oomycete pathogen Phytophthora | |
| infestans. This potentially devastating disease | |
| can infect potato foliage and tubers at any | |
| stage of crop development and can have a | |
| devasting impact on yield and tuber quality. Late blight mostly occurs during cool and | |
| wet weather. Symptoms are lesions on the leaves, that are initially dark green or | |
| black and at a later stage turn brown and surrounded by a lighter halo. During active | |
| growth, especially in cool, wet weather, a white mildew-appearing area is visible at | |
| the edge of the lesions. The white mildew is the actively growing part of the late | |
| blight. Late blight infected tubers will show depressed dark rotten spots on the | |
| surface of the skin which will grow deeper in the tuber itself (varying from brown to | |
| purplish).6 Blight infested tubers can keep spreading the disease. | |
| We recommend farmers do preventive sprays against blight every week, from when | |
| the first plants emerge. When the first late blight infections will appear, the fungi can | |
| destroy your crop in less than a week. | |
| We recommend a mix of chemicals to be used, in order to avoid resistance of the | |
| potatoes or the fields to one specific chemical. | |
| Farmers can be referred by the Agrico agronomist to the chemical companies who can | |
| develop a customized spray regime to follow. Farmers can also ask the chemical | |
| companies for their specific spray programs, or have a look at the website of the | |
| relevant chemical companies such as Bayer7 or Syngenta. | |
| On a general note: Always start with a preventive chemical, one to three times during | |
| the crop cycle, then apply preventive and curative. Rule of thumb is to spray at an | |
| interval of once a week, but may be altered based on weather conditions (i.e. if the | |
| weather or the season is very wet, the farmer may have to spray more often, like after | |
| 4-5 days). | |
| 5 https://www.potatopro.com/news/2015/idaho-late-blight-outbreak-worst-1998 24/07/2018 | |
| 6 https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/crops/late-blight-in-potato, 30/07/2020 | |
| 7 https://www.cropscience.bayer.africa/ke/en-ke/products.html, 13/09/2021 | |
| Agrico Potato Services Africa Limited | |
| Tel: +254 742 844 207 | |
| Email: info@agrico.co.ke | |
| www.agrico.co.ke | |
| After flowering, when the plant starts tuber bulking, use a chemical that gives tubers | |
| protection. Your chemical spraying regime should be depending on climate | |
| circumstances. | |
| No chemical is too strong to work alone without alternates, and no weather is too good | |
| to do away with the spraying. | |
| Prevention & Treatment of Early Blight: | |
| Early blight is a fungal disease somewhat similar to | |
| late blight. Early blight also gives stains on the leaves | |
| and slowly deteriorates the plant till it dies. The main | |
| difference with early blight is that the stains on the | |
| leaves are small spots and not larger blotches as with | |
| late blight. Early blight is also seen later on in the | |
| season and comes in once the plant starts showing | |
| signs of yellowing. This is why this disease is also called ‘the ageing disease’. Early | |
| blight will accelerate the ageing process and have a big impact on your total yield at | |
| harvest, since potato tubers will add most weight towards the end of the growing cycle. | |
| Control of early blight can be done through anti-fungal sprays and can also be | |
| combined with your normal late blight control. There are several products available. | |
| We suggest you contact the leading agro-dealer in your area for advice on products, | |
| or the regional representatives for Bayer, Syngenta or similar companies for the | |
| correct products to use.8 | |
| Bacterial Wilt is common in Kenya. | |
| Controlling this can be done by using certified seeds, | |
| clean fields and by avoiding the use of contaminated | |
| irrigation water. If you need to irrigate then test the | |
| water first. | |
| Watch out for spreading of the bacteria by tractor | |
| and/or machinery or even by human beings. Disinfection of farm workers & tools is | |
| important. | |
| CONTROLLING PESTS & INSECTS: | |
| Insects needs to be controlled as well as they can be major transporters of diseases | |
| and viruses. Also, insects can damage the crop leaves and tubers, resulting in lower | |
| yields or lower quality tubers, affecting farmers profits. | |
| There is a wide range of insects that can affect potatoes, and different insects at | |
| different stages of the crop may require different intervention from the farmer. Some | |
| common insects affecting potato farmers are cutworms, millipedes, aphids, thrips, | |
| 8 https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/sitesgateway/files/alternaria%20%2824, 24/07/2018 | |
| Agrico Potato Services Africa Limited | |
| Tel: +254 742 844 207 | |
| Email: info@agrico.co.ke | |
| www.agrico.co.ke | |
| leaf minors, snails, bugs, spider-mites, whiteflies, potato tuber moth, wire worm, and | |
| stemborer. | |
| HARVESTING: | |
| Your plants are ready for harvesting when the foliage has completely dried up, i.e. | |
| leaves have wilted and turned yellow or brown and dry, and also the stems feeding | |
| the tubers need to have dried off. | |
| Harvesting should be done under good weather conditions, not too warm and not too | |
| wet. Prevent bruising the tubers by waiting until the skin of tubers is hardened off | |
| enough. You can do the ‘finger test’, with rubbing your thumb over a harvested tuber. | |
| If the skin of the tuber comes off, or peels, that is an indicator the tubers are not yet | |
| ready for harvesting. | |
| Treat potatoes like eggs, they are very sensitive and fragile. Damaged and bruised | |
| potatoes are more susceptible for diseases and are likely to lose more weight during | |
| storage. | |
| STORAGE: | |
| Often the prices of potatoes are not so good during the harvesting period since most | |
| farmers will plant and also harvest all at the same time. In such case you can decide | |
| to store your potatoes and wait for better prices. | |
| When storing potatoes, it is very important to do it correct. The potatoes must be | |
| ventilated mechanically or by natural ventilation in order to dry the tubers. You need | |
| to be careful to keep the potatoes dry but not to dry them out and cause weight loss. | |
| If you are storing the potatoes in a place that has held potatoes before, you need to | |
| disinfect the store from last years’ crop before putting in your fresh, clean potatoes. | |
| Otherwise, potatoes can still pick up diseases from the storage facility. | |
| Depending on desired storage time one has to look at different storage options. | |
| It is important for processing varieties (chips, crisps) that the tuber temperature does | |
| not drop below 7 degrees Celsius, otherwise sugar-content may increase above the | |
| required levels. This will not be acceptable to the processors as it will give them brown | |
| chips or crisps. | |
| The cleaner (without dirt and rot and cuts) the crop is brought into the store, the better | |
| it will stay during storage. | |
| Disclaimer: | |
| Please note that this document is a general guide to potato farming in East Africa, but | |
| not an absolute instruction. Changes can be done depending on many factors, e.g. | |
| type of soil, climate, weather, market, etc. | |
| Agrico PSA does not take any responsibility or liability in case of misinterpretation and | |
| loss of yields or crop as a result. When in doubt, always consult the Agrico agronomist, | |
| or other agronomists or technically skilled people. " | |
| "Easy Gardening | |
| Joseph Masabni, Assistant Professor and Extension Horticulturist, The Texas A&M University System | |
| irish potatoes • irish potatoes • irish pota- | |
| -1- | |
| I | |
| rish potatoes are one of America’s most | |
| popular vegetables—the average American eats about 125 pounds of potatoes | |
| and potato products each year. | |
| The edible part of the plant is an underground stem called a tuber (not a root). | |
| Irish potatoes contain 2 percent protein | |
| and 18 percent starch. They are an inexpensive source of carbohydrates and, when | |
| prepared properly, provide good amounts | |
| of vitamins and minerals. | |
| Irish potatoes are a cool-season crop; | |
| they grow best in early spring and late fall | |
| when the days are warm and the nights are | |
| cool. However, the tops of the plant cannot withstand frost. | |
| Varieties | |
| The most common types of Irish potatoes are red or white. Most red varieties | |
| store longer than do white varieties; on the | |
| other hand, most white varieties have better cooking qualities than red varieties. | |
| Many gardeners plant some of each | |
| in the spring. The whites are used first and | |
| the reds stored for later use. | |
| Several varieties grow well in Texas: | |
| • Red flesh: Dark Red Norland, | |
| Norland, Red LaSoda, and Viking | |
| • White flesh: Atlantic, Gemchip, | |
| Kennebec, and Superior | |
| • Yellow flesh: Yukon Gold | |
| • Russet: Century Russet, Norgold M, | |
| and Russet Norkatah | |
| Site selection | |
| For best production, potatoes need | |
| full sun. They do best in a loose, welldrained, slightly acid soil. Poorly drained | |
| soils often cause poor stands and low | |
| yields. Heavy soils can cause the tubers to | |
| be small and rough. | |
| Soil preparation | |
| Before spading, remove the rocks, | |
| trash, and large sticks from the soil. Spade | |
| EHT-068 | |
| 6-14 | |
| fertilizer—about 2 cups for each 30 feet of | |
| row—in each trench. | |
| The seed pieces will be planted in the | |
| row between the two bands of fertilizer | |
| (Fig. 3). | |
| Seed preparation | |
| Unlike most other vegetables, Irish | |
| potatoes are not grown from seed. Instead, | |
| pieces from the potato itself start new | |
| plants. Buy good seed potatoes that are free | |
| of disease and chemicals. Do not buy potatoes from a grocery store for planting. | |
| The seed potato contains buds or | |
| “eyes” that sprout and grow into plants. | |
| The seed piece provides food for the plant | |
| until it develops a root system. If the seed | |
| is too small, it will produce a weak plant. | |
| One pound of seed potatoes will make 9 to | |
| 10 seed pieces. | |
| For | |
| a spring | |
| crop, cut | |
| large seed | |
| potatoes | |
| into pieces | |
| weighing | |
| about 1½ to | |
| 2 ounces, | |
| about the | |
| size of a medium hen egg. Each seed piece | |
| must have at least one good eye (Fig. 4). | |
| Cut the seeds 5 or 6 days before planting. Hold the cut seed in a well-ventilated | |
| spot so it can heal over to prevent rotting | |
| when planted in cold, wet or very hot | |
| weather. Plants killed by a late spring frost | |
| will not come back if the seed piece is rotten. | |
| For fall-grown potatoes, plant small, | |
| uncut potatoes because they are more resistant to rotting in hot weather than cut | |
| potatoes. Select mature potatoes about 1½ | |
| inches in diameter. | |
| the soil 8 to 12 inches deep turning the | |
| earth over to cover all plant material. | |
| Work the soil into beds 10 to 12 | |
| inches high and 36 inches apart (Fig. 1). | |
| Bedding is vital for drainage. | |
| Because potatoes need adequate fertilizer early in the season, apply most of the | |
| fertilizer just before planting. Use 2 to 3 | |
| pounds of complete fertilizer such as 10- | |
| 20-10 for each 30 feet of row in bands 2 | |
| inches to each side and 1 inch below the | |
| seed piece. Do not allow the fertilizer to | |
| touch the seed piece. | |
| To apply the fertilizer, flatten the beds at | |
| 6 to 8 inches high and 10 to 12 inches | |
| wide (Fig. 2). Using the corner of a hoe or | |
| stick, open a trench about 4 inches deep | |
| on each side of the bed. Apply half of the | |
| -2- | |
| Figure 1. Before planting potatoes, work the soil | |
| into beds 10 to 12 inches high and 36 inches apart. | |
| 36” | |
| 10–12” | |
| Figure 2. Flatten the beds at 6 to 8 inches high | |
| and 10 to 12 inches wide. | |
| 10–12” 10–12” | |
| 6–8” | |
| Figure 3. Plant the seed pieces in a row between | |
| two bands of fertilizer. | |
| Seed piece | |
| Fertilizer | |
| Figure 4. Cut large seed potatoes into pieces, each having at | |
| least one good eye. | |
| Seed pieces | |
| inches apart in the trench (Fig. 5). Step on | |
| each seed piece after dropping it to ensure | |
| good contact with the soil. | |
| Cover the seed about 3 inches deep. If | |
| covered too deeply, the plants will be slow | |
| to break through the soil and will be more | |
| subject to disease and seed decay. | |
| Fertilizing | |
| The plant must have adequate moisture and fertilizer when the tubers are | |
| forming. This usually occurs when the | |
| plants are 6 to 8 inches tall. Apply 1 cup of | |
| fertilizer for each 30 feet of row beside the | |
| plants when they are about 4 inches tall. | |
| Watering | |
| During growth, keep the soil moisture | |
| supply constant. Water the fertilizer into | |
| the soil, especially on sandy soils. | |
| Moisture stress followed by irrigation | |
| or rainfall can cause growth cracks and | |
| second growth (Fig. 6). If the rainfall is accompanied by hot weather, the rest period | |
| of developing | |
| tubers | |
| can be | |
| broken | |
| and can | |
| cause the | |
| tubers to | |
| sprout | |
| in the | |
| soil. Too | |
| much | |
| water enlarges the pores on the tubers and | |
| makes them rot easily in storage. | |
| Care during the season | |
| All tubers produced on a potato plant | |
| arise from above the seed piece. Because | |
| -3- | |
| Potatoes have a rest period that must | |
| be broken before they will sprout. The rest | |
| period is more easily broken in small, mature potatoes. | |
| To be sure the rest period is broken, | |
| store small seed potatoes under warm, | |
| damp conditions for 2 weeks before planting by placing them in a shady spot and | |
| covering them with moist burlap bags or | |
| mulch. The potatoes should have small | |
| sprouts at planting time. | |
| Seed is usually more available in the | |
| spring than in the fall. Many gardeners | |
| buy extra seeds in the spring and hold it | |
| over for fall planting. For best storage, keep | |
| the potatoes in a cool, humid spot such as | |
| the bottom of a refrigerator. | |
| Do not save your potato seeds for | |
| more than 1 year. This can cause buildup | |
| of virus diseases and reduce yield. | |
| Planting | |
| Plant potatoes when the soil temperature 4 inches deep reaches about 50 | |
| degrees F, or about 3 weeks before the last | |
| spring frost. In most areas of Texas, potatoes should be planted in February or early | |
| March. If planted too early, the tops can be | |
| frozen off by spring frost. | |
| For a fall crop, plant about 110 days | |
| before the first expected frost, or mid-August in most areas. | |
| Use a hoe or stick to open a trench | |
| about 3 inches deep down the center of | |
| the bed. Drop the seed pieces 10 to 12 | |
| Figure 5. Drop the seed pieces 10 to 12 inches | |
| apart in the trench. | |
| 3-4” 12” | |
| Figure 6. Moisture stress followed by | |
| watering can cause growth cracks and | |
| second growth. Too much water causes | |
| enlarged pores on the tubers. | |
| Growth | |
| crack | |
| Second | |
| growth | |
| Enlarged | |
| pores | |
| Potato plants do not cross with tomato plants. | |
| Insects | |
| Many insecticides are available at garden centers for homeowner use. Sevin is a | |
| synthetic insecticide; organic options include sulfur and Bt-based insecticides. Sulfur has also fungicidal properties and helps | |
| in controlling many diseases. | |
| Before using a pesticide, read the label | |
| and always follow cautions, warnings, and | |
| directions. | |
| -4- | |
| the seed piece is planted only 3 inches | |
| deep, soil must be pulled toward the plant | |
| as it grows (Fig. 7). This gives the tubers a place to form. | |
| Some gardeners use thick mulch | |
| for this purpose. Potatoes formed | |
| in soft mulch often are smoother | |
| and have a better shape than those | |
| grown in soil. This is especially true | |
| if the soil is heavy. | |
| As the potatoes enlarge, they | |
| must be protected from sunlight or | |
| they will turn green. Apply a thick | |
| layer of mulch when the plants are | |
| 8 to 10 inches tall to block sunlight, | |
| reduce soil temperature, and increase | |
| yield and quality. | |
| Potato plants usually produce flowers and sometimes produce fruits | |
| (Fig. 8). | |
| The fruits | |
| bear the | |
| true seed of | |
| the potato | |
| plant. They | |
| look like | |
| small tomatoes but | |
| cannot be | |
| eaten. | |
| Figure 8. Potato plants | |
| usually produce flowers | |
| and sometimes produce | |
| fruits. | |
| Name and description Control | |
| 1 | |
| ⁄16 inch long; metallic | |
| bronze, black, blue or | |
| green; jumps quickly; eats | |
| small, round holes in leaves | |
| Sevin | |
| Adult: black and yellow | |
| stripes; 3 | |
| ⁄8 inch long; | |
| Larva: red, light orange; | |
| two rows of black dots on | |
| each side; soft bodied; up | |
| to 3 | |
| ⁄8 inch long; feeds on | |
| leaves | |
| Sevin | |
| 1 | |
| ⁄8 inch long; green, pink, | |
| red, or brown; soft bodied; | |
| usually found on underside | |
| of leaves; sucks plant juices | |
| Malathion | |
| Yellow-white; dark head | |
| and tail; slender; ½ to 1½ | |
| inches long; feeds on tubers | |
| Weed | |
| control, | |
| sanitation | |
| and hand | |
| removal | |
| Green; wedge shaped; | |
| crawls sidewise when disturbed; up to 1 | |
| ⁄8 inch long; | |
| sucks juices from leaves; | |
| leaves curl upward and turn | |
| yellow to brown | |
| Sevin | |
| Flea beetle | |
| Colorado potato | |
| beetle | |
| Wireworm | |
| Aphid | |
| Adult Larva | |
| Leafhopper | |
| Figure 7. Because all tubers produced on a potato | |
| plant come from above the seed piece, the soil | |
| must be pulled toward the plant as it grows. | |
| Soil or | |
| mulch | |
| Tubers will | |
| turn green | |
| if not covered | |
| Seed piece | |
| Roots | |
| To harvest potatoes, dig under the | |
| plants with a shovel or spading fork. Keep | |
| the pitchfork 8 to 10 inches away from the | |
| plant to prevent cutting the potatoes. Raise | |
| the plants and shake away the soil. | |
| Potatoes should be dug when the soil | |
| is moist. If it is too wet, the soil will stick | |
| to the potatoes. If too dry, dirt clods will | |
| bruise the potatoes. | |
| Pull the potatoes from the vines and | |
| handle them carefully to prevent damage; | |
| damaged potatoes do not store well. | |
| Allow the potatoes to dry; then store | |
| them in a cool spot with plenty of air | |
| movement. Most potato varieties are ready | |
| to dig 95 to 110 days after planting. | |
| After the potatoes are dug, place the | |
| tops in the compost pile. The spring potato | |
| crop often can be followed with a summer | |
| crop such as southern peas. | |
| Serving | |
| Peel away the green areas on potatoes | |
| before cooking. For suggestions on how to | |
| prepare and serve potatoes, contact your | |
| county Extension agent. | |
| -5- | |
| Diseases | |
| Potatoes are troubled by several diseases. Treating seed pieces with a fungicide | |
| before planting can be helpful. | |
| Check the plants daily and treat them | |
| with an approved fungicide if diseases appear. Neem oil, sulfur, and other fungicides | |
| are available for use. Always follow label | |
| directions. | |
| A good rotation program is an effective way to control most potato diseases. If | |
| possible, do not plant potatoes in the same | |
| place more than once each 3 years. Do not | |
| follow or precede potatoes with eggplant, | |
| okra, pepper or tomato. | |
| Seed piece treatment is especially important if your garden is too small for adequate rotation. | |
| Harvesting and storing | |
| Potatoes are ready to harvest when | |
| the tops begin to die and the potato skin | |
| becomes firm. The skin is set when it does | |
| not scrape easily when rubbed with the | |
| thumb. Skin set can be speeded by cutting | |
| back the tops of the plants. | |
| Most of the potatoes should weigh 6 | |
| to 12 ounces at harvest. You can harvest | |
| small “new potatoes” during the growing season by carefully digging beside the | |
| plants with your fingers. | |
| Acknowledgments | |
| This publication was revised from earlier versions written | |
| by B. Dean McCraw, former Professor and Extension Horticulturist. | |
| The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with | |
| the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is implied. | |
| Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service | |
| AgriLifeExtension.tamu.edu | |
| More Extension publications can be found at AgriLifeBookstore.org | |
| Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard | |
| to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status. | |
| The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating." | |
| "Agriculture and Natural Resources | |
| FSA6016 | |
| Home Gardening Series | |
| Irish Potatoes | |
| Craig R. Andersen | |
| Associate Professor and | |
| Extension Specialist | |
| Vegetables | |
| Arkansas Is | |
| Our Campus | |
| Visit our web site at: | |
| https://www.uaex.uada.edu | |
| Environment | |
| Light – sunny | |
| Soil – well-drained | |
| Fertility – medium-rich | |
| pH – 5.0 to 6.5 | |
| Temperature – cool | |
| Moisture – uniform moisture | |
| Culture | |
| Planting – seed pieces late winter or | |
| late summer | |
| Spacing – 10-12 inches x 24-36 inches | |
| Hardiness – cool season, hardy | |
| Fertilizer – medium to heavy feeder | |
| Irish Potatoes – Solanum | |
| tuberosum | |
| The potato is a cool-season | |
| vegetable that ranks with wheat and | |
| rice as one of the most important | |
| staples in the human diet. Potatoes | |
| are native to America and were cultivated from Chile to New Grenada at | |
| the time the Spanish explorers | |
| reached South America. The | |
| Spaniards introduced the species to | |
| Europe soon after 1580, and the popularity of potatoes spread all over | |
| Europe and the British Isles by the | |
| end of the 17th century. In 1719 Irish | |
| immigrants introduced white potatoes | |
| to New England, and now white potatoes are often called “Irish potatoes.” | |
| Potatoes are not roots but | |
| specialized underground storage | |
| stems called “tubers.” Maximum tuber | |
| formation occurs at soil temperatures | |
| between 60 and 70 degrees F. The | |
| tubers fail to form when the soil | |
| temperature reaches 80 degrees F. | |
| Potatoes will withstand light frost | |
| in spring and can be grown | |
| throughout Arkansas. | |
| Cultural Practices | |
| Planting Time | |
| Potatoes are among the earliest | |
| vegetables planted in the garden. | |
| Early, midseason and late varieties | |
| may be planted in early to midFebruary through early March in | |
| southern Arkansas and early March to | |
| early April in northern Arkansas. | |
| Midseason and late varieties may be | |
| planted as late as July 15 to August 1 | |
| for fall production. Late potatoes are | |
| best for winter storage. | |
| Spacing and Depth of Planting | |
| Start potatoes from a “seed piece” | |
| rather than from true seed. However, | |
| there is a particular potato variety | |
| called ‘Homestead Hybrid’ that is | |
| grown from true potato seed. Plant | |
| seed pieces in a window box or | |
| greenhouse for transplants, or plant | |
| directly in the garden. Seed pieces are | |
| small whole potatoes or larger ones | |
| that are cut into 1 1/2- to 2-ounce | |
| pieces. Plant the pieces soon after | |
| cutting. Be sure there are at least two | |
| to three good “eyes” in each seed | |
| piece. Some garden centers and seed | |
| suppliers sell potato eyes that weigh | |
| University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating | |
| Cultivars | |
| Crop Cultivar | |
| Days to | |
| Maturity | |
| Seed Per | |
| 100 Feet | |
| of Row Remarks | |
| Irish Potatoes Kennebec 110 13 pounds Smooth, oblong white tuber; heavy yields; good quality; high | |
| starch. | |
| Irish Cobbler 95 13 pounds Round white tuber; early; well adapted, high starch. | |
| Pontiac 100 13 pounds Round, oblong red tuber; heavy yields; low starch. | |
| Superior 90 13 pounds Early, round white tubers; moderate heat tolerance; low starch. | |
| All Blue 13 pounds Deep blue/purple-colored skins and flesh. Retains color after | |
| cooking as well. Suitable for all cooking. Mid to late maturity; | |
| vigorous plants. Blue flowered; medium starch. | |
| Yukon Gold 13 pounds Mid-early variety; oval, medium-large potato with light yellow | |
| flesh. Large, upright plants have violet flowers; medium starch. | |
| Dark Red | |
| Norland | |
| 13 pounds Early, stores well. Oval-oblong, smooth red potato with white | |
| flesh. Great for early digging. Medium-large purple flowering | |
| plants; low starch. | |
| *NOTE: Check your local garden centers or farm stores for certified seed potatoes in the spring. | |
| less than an ounce; these are not the desired size. | |
| Small, whole, certified seed potatoes are the best | |
| choice for home gardeners. | |
| Plant seed pieces 10 to 12 inches apart and cover | |
| them in a furrow 2 to 3 inches deep. Space the rows | |
| 24 to 36 inches apart. The 24-inch spacing is often | |
| beneficial because plants will shade the soil and | |
| prevent high soil temperatures that inhibit | |
| tuber development. | |
| Care | |
| The soil should be fertile and well drained. Clay | |
| soils should be improved with organic matter and | |
| plowed in the fall. Use raised beds to improve | |
| soil drainage. Band fertilizer 6 inches on both sides | |
| of the row at the rate of 6 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 feet of row. When the plants are 8 to | |
| 12 inches tall, side-dress another 3 pounds of | |
| fertilizer per 100 feet of row about 6 inches from the | |
| center of the row. | |
| Mulching is usually helpful in growing potatoes. | |
| Apply organic mulch after the potato plants have | |
| emerged to conserve moisture, help keep down weeds | |
| and cool the soil. Some gardeners cover rows of early | |
| potatoes with clear plastic film at planting to warm | |
| the soil and promote early growth. After the plants | |
| emerge, remove the film to allow the plants to grow. | |
| Hill the potatoes after they break the surface of | |
| the ground, gradually build up a low ridge of loose | |
| soil by cultivation and hoeing. This ridge, which may | |
| become 4 to 6 inches high in summer, reduces the | |
| number of sunburned (greened) tubers. The object of | |
| potato cultivation is to eliminate competition from | |
| weeds, to loosen and aerate the soil and to build up | |
| the row. Misshaped potatoes result when the tubers | |
| develop in hard, compacted soil. | |
| Irrigate to ensure uniform moisture while the | |
| tubers are developing. A uniform moisture supply | |
| also helps cool the ground and helps eliminate knobs | |
| caused by secondary growth. | |
| Harvesting | |
| Harvest potatoes after most of the vines have | |
| died. Handle as gently as possible during harvest. | |
| Leave the tubers exposed to the sun just long enough | |
| for the soil to dry and fall off. Too much direct sunlight blisters the tubers and causes them to turn | |
| green and rot in storage. Since the tubers develop | |
| 4 to 6 inches beneath the soil surface, a spade fork is | |
| useful for digging potatoes. | |
| Potatoes for use in early summer (“new” | |
| potatoes) may be dug before the vines die (usually in | |
| June or July). When the potatoes reach 1 to 2 inches | |
| in size, dig a few hills to use for soups or to cook with | |
| peas, cream or butter. | |
| Late potatoes are usually dug in October. They | |
| will keep in the garage or basement for several | |
| weeks in their natural dormancy. Store over the | |
| winter in a dark room or in a cooler at a temperature | |
| between 38 and 40 degrees F with high humidity. | |
| Check periodically for spoilage. | |
| Common Problems | |
| Early blight disease causes yellowing and dying | |
| of the leaves. The presence of brown spots and | |
| yellowing of the lower leaves are the first signs of the | |
| disease. The entire plant will become infected if the | |
| disease is not controlled. Control early blight by | |
| weekly applications of suggested fungicides, | |
| beginning when seedlings are 6 to 8 inches high. | |
| Potato scab disease (indicated by scabby, rough | |
| skin) does not develop when the soil pH is 5.6 or | |
| below. Plant resistant varieties when available. | |
| Colorado potato beetles, flea beetles and | |
| leafhoppers can significantly reduce potato yields. | |
| Control these insects with suggested insecticides. | |
| diseases – early blight, scab, late blight, tuber | |
| rots, virus complex, fusarium, verticillium and | |
| bacterial wilts | |
| insects – Colorado potato beetles, flea beetles, | |
| leafhoppers | |
| cultural – green skin (sun exposure), hollow | |
| heart (alternate wet and dry conditions), black | |
| walnut wilt (too close to a black walnut tree) | |
| Harvesting and Storage | |
| days to maturity – 100 to 120 | |
| harvest – Dig early potatoes when tubers are | |
| large enough to eat. Harvest potatoes for storage | |
| after the vines die down or just after the first light | |
| fall frost nips the vines, before heavy freezing. Avoid | |
| skinning tubers when digging and avoid long | |
| exposure to light. | |
| approximate yields (per 10 feet of row) – 6 to | |
| 15 pounds | |
| amount to raise per person – 75 to 100 pounds | |
| (plant about 15 pounds of seed potatoes per person) | |
| storage – medium-cool conditions (38 to | |
| 42 degrees F), moist (90 percent relative humidity) | |
| conditions; 6 to 8 months. Sprouting is a problem at | |
| higher temperatures. | |
| preservation – usually stored in medium cool, | |
| moist conditions | |
| There are more than 100 varieties of potatoes. | |
| The horticultural varieties generally have white flesh | |
| and light brown or red skin. There are different | |
| types of potatoes with yellow to blue flesh and many | |
| different skin colors. An interesting one now being | |
| grown is ‘Yellow Finn.’ ‘Russet Burbank’ is one of the | |
| most important varieties produced in the United | |
| States. The weather in Arkansas is too warm and the | |
| moisture fluctuation is too great for the production of | |
| smooth ‘Russet Burbank’ tubers and good yields. | |
| Frequently Asked Questions | |
| Q. Should I save some of my potatoes for seed | |
| potatoes? | |
| A. No. Saving your own seed potatoes can lead to a | |
| buildup of viruses and diseases. | |
| Q. My potato plants flowered and formed | |
| green fruits that resemble small tomatoes. | |
| What are they? | |
| A. These small seed balls are the fruits that contain | |
| the true seeds. They are not edible. | |
| Q. What causes green skins on my potatoes? | |
| A. The green areas on tubers develop where the | |
| potato was exposed to the sun. This condition | |
| occurs when potatoes are not planted deeply | |
| enough or not covered with straw. The green | |
| portions taste bitter because they contain an | |
| alkaloid. Cut off and discard these green areas. | |
| Exposure of potato tubers to fluorescent light or | |
| sunlight will cause greening during storage. | |
| Q. Can I make chips from homegrown | |
| potatoes? | |
| A. Yes. Any potato variety can be used to make | |
| chips when the potatoes are freshly dug. | |
| Commercial chips are made from selected | |
| varieties that are carefully handled and stored. | |
| Chips made from inferior varieties or improperly | |
| stored potatoes will be brown and have a dark | |
| ring because they contain excessive amounts | |
| of sugars. | |
| Q. I used potatoes bought at the grocery store | |
| as seed for planting, and they rotted | |
| without sprouting. Why? | |
| A. Many potatoes sold for fresh market consumption | |
| have been treated to prevent sprouting in storage | |
| and when planted. Potatoes have a rest period | |
| that must be broken before the seed pieces will | |
| sprout. Cool or extremely warm temperatures | |
| can break the rest period and allow potatoes to | |
| sprout. Plant certified seed potatoes that have | |
| been properly stored to induce sprouting. | |
| Q. Can I save the small potatoes from my | |
| spring crop for planting in the fall in | |
| my garden? | |
| A. Yes. This is commonly done. Sometimes the | |
| potatoes saved from the spring garden fail to | |
| sprout when planted in the fall because of a | |
| natural dormancy in newly harvested potatoes. A | |
| recommended procedure for breaking the | |
| dormancy includes harvesting the potatoes and | |
| placing them in a cool storage area, preferably | |
| about 50 degrees F, until about three to four | |
| weeks before the anticipated fall planting date. | |
| To prevent rotting, do not cut. Plant the small | |
| potatoes whole. | |
| Q. How do I know when my potatoes are ready | |
| for harvesting? | |
| A. Potatoes are mature when the plant starts to | |
| yellow. Potatoes require 75 to 140 days from | |
| planting to maturity depending upon variety and | |
| the season they are grown. Immature potatoes | |
| often skin and bruise easily. Dig spring-planted | |
| potatoes before the soil becomes hot. Avoid | |
| harvesting potatoes when the soil is wet to avoid | |
| storage diseases. | |
| Q. I have some seed potatoes left from my | |
| spring garden. Would it be all right to | |
| eat them? | |
| A. No. Potato tubers purchased for seed purposes | |
| should not be eaten because they frequently have | |
| been chemically treated. Like all treated seeds, | |
| seed potatoes should not be fed to humans | |
| or animals. | |
| Q. After harvesting, how should I handle my | |
| potatoes to result in the longest storage | |
| time possible? | |
| A. Dig potatoes when the soil is dry. Be careful not | |
| to skin or bruise the tubers. Do not wash the | |
| potatoes. Place them in crates or some suitable | |
| container and store them in a dark area for three | |
| to five days at 60 degrees F with high humidity. | |
| After this curing period, keep the potatoes at | |
| 40 to 45 degrees F with humidity near 85 percent | |
| and provide good air circulation. | |
| Q. Can potatoes be left in the ground for | |
| storage? | |
| A. Generally no. Cool, humid conditions (38 to | |
| 45 degrees F and 85 percent relative humidity) | |
| are best for Irish potato storage. The potatoes | |
| would not stay dry enough in the soil to prevent | |
| second growth or sprouting. Several weeks at | |
| high temperatures can break the rest period in | |
| homegrown potatoes, after which sprouts will | |
| develop on the tuber. It is better to dig the | |
| potatoes and put them in a cool, damp area. | |
| Q. After a rainfall, the potato plants in one | |
| area of my garden began to die rapidly. The | |
| stems rotted. A dark discoloration is moving | |
| up the stem to the top of the plant, and the | |
| stem has a foul odor. | |
| A. This is black leg of potatoes, one of the major | |
| bacterial potato problems. To prevent this | |
| problem, plant only in well-drained areas. Seed | |
| piece treatment also helps prevent the entry of | |
| bacteria and other organisms. | |
| Q. The stems of my Irish potato plants are | |
| decayed. The plants weaken but do not die. | |
| A. This is Rhizoctonia, a soil-borne fungus that | |
| causes decay in stems and seed pieces. Approved | |
| seed-piece fungicides are the best control for this | |
| disease. Always follow label instructions closely. | |
| Q. When I dug my potatoes, they were covered | |
| by small, raised bumps. | |
| A. This is a physiological condition called large | |
| lenticle. It is caused by water-saturated soil | |
| conditions. Choose a well-drained site and | |
| raised beds. | |
| Q. After I dug my potatoes, I found that they | |
| were rough with deep scars. | |
| A. This is potato scab, caused by a soil-borne | |
| organism. Control by maintaining an acid soil, | |
| below pH 5.6, around your potato plants and a | |
| uniform moisture level from the time the potato | |
| is formed until it is harvested. | |
| Q. The lower foliage on my potato plants is | |
| beginning to turn yellow and is covered | |
| with brown spots. | |
| A. This is early blight of potatoes and is similar to | |
| blight on tomatoes. Spray with a fungicide when | |
| spots are observed and repeat at 7- to 14-day | |
| intervals for two to three sprays. | |
| Q. The foliage of my potato plants is distorted, | |
| rolled and is not as healthy as it should be. | |
| A. Several viruses attack potatoes. The best | |
| prevention of potato viruses is to plant only | |
| certified seed pieces. | |
| Q. When I dug my potatoes, I noticed small | |
| holes chewed in the tubers. How do I | |
| prevent this? | |
| A. Several soil-inhabiting insects, such as | |
| wireworms and white grubs, cause this type of | |
| damage. Use control measures for these pests | |
| before planting. Use insecticides only as directed | |
| on the label. | |
| Q. The leaves of my potatoes are disappearing | |
| fast. All I see on the plant are some pinkish | |
| worms. | |
| A. These pinkish larvae are immature Colorado | |
| potato beetles. They defoliate plants and can be | |
| controlled with insecticides. Use as directed on | |
| label. In small plots, control by picking the larvae | |
| off by hand and destroying them. | |
| Photo Credit: Scott Bauer @ USDA-NRCS. | |
| Printed by University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Printing Services. | |
| DR. CRAIG R. ANDERSEN is associate professor and Extension | |
| specialist - vegetables, Horticulture Department, University of | |
| Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Fayetteville. | |
| Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and | |
| June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, | |
| Director, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas. The | |
| Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible | |
| persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, | |
| disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status | |
| FSA6016-PD-7-11RV and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. " | |
| "Growing Potatoes | |
| in Your Home Garden A Guide to Growing Potatoes | |
| In Your Home Garden | |
| Yes potatoes are | |
| nutritious! They are a | |
| great source of vitamin | |
| C, potassium, fiber and | |
| protein, all with no fat! | |
| Potatoes, along with | |
| many other vegetables, | |
| can be prepared as | |
| part of a healthy diet. | |
| Luckily, potatoes are | |
| versatile and are easy | |
| to prepare. Whether | |
| baked, boiled, roasted | |
| or fried they are a | |
| delicious addition to | |
| Potatoes are native to the | |
| Andean region of South | |
| America. European explorers | |
| introduced the potato to | |
| Europe in 1536 but it did not | |
| arrive in the United States | |
| until 1719 when Irish | |
| immigrants brought the | |
| potato with them to the New | |
| World. | |
| Have you ever grown potatoes in | |
| your garden? | |
| Growing potatoes is fun and not that hard! | |
| Home gardeners can grow unique varieties that | |
| are not sold in local supermarkets. Potatoes | |
| come in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Did | |
| you know that there are purple, red and yellow | |
| potatoes ? Potatoes make a great garden project | |
| for your children or grandchildren. | |
| Kelly A. Zarka, Donna C. Kells, David S. Douches and C. Robin Buell | |
| Michigan State University | |
| any meal. | |
| Should you eat the skin? Yes! We recommend | |
| it! The skin of the potato contains the majority | |
| of the potato's fiber, and many of the nutrients | |
| are located close to the skin. Wash the potato | |
| thoroughly, cut away green discoloration and/or | |
| sprouts, and enjoy your potato with the skin on. | |
| Potatoes are the number one non‐grain food | |
| crop in the world. In the United States, over 1 | |
| million acres are planted each year for | |
| commercial production. Potatoes are | |
| important to developing nations as well. | |
| Potatoes can grow in harsh climates and many | |
| potato varieties can be produced in 90 days or | |
| less on small parcels of land. | |
| Potatoes are important in our world! | |
| Figure 1. Children love helping in the garden and | |
| getting dirty is an added bonus. | |
| Figure 2. Source: U.S. Food and | |
| Drug Administration | |
| Are potatoes nutritious? | |
| Where did potatoes come from? | |
| © Michigan State University and the Potato Breeding and Genetics Program | |
| Figure 3. Peru, South | |
| America . Photo credit: | |
| Allard Schmidt | |
| All about potatoes | |
| The potato is a member of the Solanaceae | |
| (nightshade) family, which includes tomato, | |
| pepper, eggplant, petunia and tobacco. | |
| The enlarged, edible, underground storage | |
| portion of the potato plant is called a “tuber”. | |
| The tuber develops from underground stems | |
| called stolons. Dormant buds (eyes) develop on | |
| the tuber. Tuber formation begins when plants | |
| are 6 to 8 inches tall, or five to seven weeks | |
| after planting, and results from the production | |
| and movement of starch into the developing | |
| tubers. Many varieties develop fruits and | |
| flowers, but these parts are not edible. The | |
| fruits look like small green tomatoes and | |
| contain the true seed of the potatoes; however | |
| they are genetically different from the parent. | |
| Plants grown from this seed will not necessarily | |
| resemble the original variety. Commercial | |
| potato production and home gardeners use | |
| tuber pieces containing at least one dormant | |
| bud (eye) that will sprout and form a potato | |
| plant. These tuber pieces are sometimes | |
| referred to as “potato seed” or “seed pieces”. | |
| The potato is raised as an annual crop, however, | |
| tubers left in the garden that do not completely | |
| freeze during the winter, may emerge as | |
| volunteer potato plants when the soil warms | |
| again. | |
| Potato types and uses | |
| Potato varieties vary according to shape, flesh | |
| color and skin appearance. They are classified | |
| according to the tuber types listed below (see | |
| Figure 4). | |
| Long Russet (A): A thick‐skinned potato with a | |
| long shape and dry texture; good for baking and | |
| frying (French fries). This is the most popular | |
| market type in the United States. Variety | |
| example: Goldrush. | |
| All about potatoes | |
| Round white/Long white (B): A thin‐light | |
| brown skinned all‐purpose potato with firm, | |
| creamy texture; best for boiling and frying. | |
| Variety examples: Onaway, Kennebec, Superior | |
| (Round), | |
| Shepody and Cal White (Long) | |
| Round red skin (C): A thin, red‐skinned potato | |
| with firm, creamy texture; good for boiling. | |
| Variety examples: Red Norland, Chieftain and | |
| Red Pontiac. | |
| Yellow (D): There are several varieties with thin, | |
| golden skins and creamy smooth yellow flesh; | |
| good for boiling and frying, some for baking. | |
| Variety examples: Yukon Gold, Yellow Finn. | |
| Round Red skin yellow flesh (E): New varieties | |
| with various color combinations are being | |
| released every year. One example is a red | |
| skinned potato with creamy yellow flesh. Good | |
| for boiling. Variety example: Red Gold | |
| Purple (F): A violet‐purple skinned potato with | |
| purple flesh; for baking and frying. They retain | |
| their color when cooked. Variety examples: | |
| Adirondack Blue, Purple Majesty | |
| Fingerlings (G): Small varieties that are narrow | |
| almost finger shaped. Fingerlings are fully | |
| mature when harvested. Variety examples: | |
| Banana, Rose Finn Apple. | |
| Figure 4: Potatoes come in many shapes and | |
| colors. Photo credit: U.S. Potato Board | |
| A B | |
| C | |
| D | |
| E | |
| F G | |
| Variety Selection, Seed Purchasing and Soil Preparation | |
| Variety Selection | |
| Choice of a potato variety for growing in a home | |
| garden depends on factors such as garden space | |
| availability, desired uses, and storage plans. | |
| To ensure quality and maximum productivity, | |
| purchase certified seed tubers. Certified potato | |
| tuber seed is seed of a known variety produced | |
| under strict standards to maintain seed tubers | |
| that are virus and disease free. Saving tubers | |
| from your garden will eventually result in | |
| decreased yields and small tubers due to more | |
| incidences of disease. For the same reason, you | |
| do not want to plant tubers from the grocery | |
| store. Grocery store potatoes have been treated | |
| to prevent sprouting so it may be difficult to | |
| even get a plant started at planting time. | |
| Certified potato tuber seed can be purchased at | |
| area garden nurseries or through the internet. If | |
| you are interested in trying new or unique | |
| varieties, try purchasing from reputable online | |
| vendors including: | |
| Irish Eyes Garden Seeds | |
| http://www.gardencityseeds.net | |
| Wood Prairie Farm | |
| http://www.woodprairie.com | |
| Gardens Alive! | |
| http://www.gardensalive.com | |
| Burpee | |
| http://burpee.com | |
| Potato Garden.com | |
| http://www.potatogarden.com | |
| Seed Preparation | |
| Depending on the source and the quantity you | |
| buy you will receive either small tubers or large | |
| tubers. Small tubers (1 to 2 inches in diameter) | |
| can be planted whole. Cut large tubers into | |
| block‐shaped, 2 to 2 1/2 ounce seed pieces | |
| (about the size of an egg) (Figure 5). The seed | |
| pieces should be firm, with at least one “eye” | |
| per section and a maximum sprout length of | |
| 1/4 to 1/2 inch to ensure optimum | |
| germination. Seed tubers can be cut and | |
| planted on the same day, however allowing the | |
| cut surface to heal over for 4‐7 days may | |
| reduce the risk of seed pieces rotting in the | |
| soil. | |
| Figure 5: Tuber seed piece cuttings. | |
| Soil Preparation and Fertility | |
| Potatoes grow on a wide range of soils, but are | |
| best suited to a sandy loam or a soil that is well | |
| drained. Very sandy soils may require extra | |
| watering to maintain adequate soil moisture. | |
| Fine‐textured soils that are high in silts and clay | |
| may not be well drained, and they tend to | |
| produce poorly shaped potatoes. | |
| If possible, a soil test can be performed before | |
| planting. Contact your local Extension office | |
| for details on soil testing. The best soil pH for | |
| potatoes is between 5.5 and 6.0. A pH above | |
| 6.0 may increase the incidence of common | |
| scab (a disease) on tubers. If a soil test is not | |
| available, follow these recommended | |
| guidelines: | |
| •Rototill into the seedbed about 2 pounds per | |
| 50 feet of row of 12‐12‐12 (N‐P‐K) analysis | |
| fertilizer. | |
| Planting and Care of Potatoes in Your Garden | |
| •Beside the row, apply 1/3 pound per 50 feet of | |
| row of 46‐0‐0 (urea) fertilizer one week after | |
| plant emergence and again between 4 and 6 | |
| weeks after emergence. Instead of working the | |
| fertilizer into the soil, water thoroughly so that | |
| the fertilizer moves into the root zone. | |
| Do not amend the soil with lime or manure in the | |
| same year that potatoes are to be grown. Lime | |
| and manure increase the risk of potato scab | |
| disease. | |
| Planting and Care | |
| Potatoes are a cool season crop; ideal | |
| temperatures for crop growth are 65 to 80 during | |
| the day and 55 to 65 at night. The soil should be | |
| cultivated 6 to 8 inches deep in the spring, and | |
| large soil clods should be broken up or removed | |
| before planting. Plant potatoes when soil | |
| temperatures are above 45 F. Cold, wet soil at | |
| planting time increases the risk of seed piece | |
| decay, and planting into cool, dry soils can cause | |
| delayed sprouting and emergence of the | |
| potatoes. | |
| Figure 6: Plant seed pieces 3 to 4 inches deep and | |
| space 9 to 12 inches apart. | |
| Plant tuber seed pieces 3 to 4 inches deep. | |
| Leaving 30 to 36 inches between rows and | |
| spacing seed pieces 9 to 12 inches apart in | |
| the row will generally produce an acceptable | |
| yield of medium‐sized tubers (Figure 6). Five | |
| pounds of seed potatoes should plant 40 | |
| feet of row with 12 inches between seed | |
| pieces. You can expect to harvest 3 to 5 | |
| pounds of potatoes per potato plant. Larger | |
| tubers are produced at wider plant spacings, | |
| though some varieties, for example, Yukon | |
| Gold, develop growth defects such as hollow | |
| heart at a wider spacing. | |
| Potato plants should be “hilled” when the | |
| plants are 8 to 12 inches tall (Figure 7). | |
| Figure 7: When the plants are 8‐12 inches tall | |
| they should be hilled to keep tubers covered and | |
| prevent greening. | |
| Mound the soil to a height of 3 to 6 inches and | |
| approximately 12 to 15 inches from the base of | |
| the plant. Use care to prevent damage to the | |
| plant roots, which may extend 8 to 12 inches | |
| from the base of the plant. Hilling maintains | |
| suitable soil cover for tubers as they expand. | |
| Tubers that break the soil surface may have | |
| green areas that contain bitter tasting | |
| glycoalkaloids and should not be eaten. Discard | |
| or cut off the green portions. | |
| Planting and Care of Potatoes in Your Garden | |
| Avoid planting potatoes in the same location | |
| year after year. To lower the risk of disease | |
| and insect problems, do not plant in areas | |
| where tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, radishes | |
| or beets were grown the previous year. | |
| Water Requirements | |
| Potatoes are very sensitive to soil moisture | |
| and do best with a consistent soil moisture | |
| level. Even soil moisture levels throughout the | |
| root zone should be maintained, though over‐ | |
| wet and saturated conditions should be | |
| avoided. In general, 1 inch of water per week | |
| from rainfall or irrigation is adequate. As | |
| much as 2 inches per week may be required | |
| on sandy soils with low organic matter. | |
| Dry soil alternating with periods of saturated | |
| soil can result in poor quality tubers with | |
| defects such as knobs, growth cracks, hollow | |
| heart and internal browning. Long periods of | |
| excess moisture, particularly near maturity, | |
| may lead to decreased yields and poor quality | |
| tubers. | |
| Pest and Disease Control | |
| You can help alleviate pest problems by | |
| changing the location in your home garden | |
| where potatoes are planted, through regular | |
| inspection, and by removing “volunteer” | |
| potato plants, which can serve as a host for | |
| diseases that can damage the new crop. | |
| Shallow cultivation is preferred for weed | |
| control. For late season weed control, pull | |
| weeds instead of hoeing them to prevent | |
| tuber damage. Mulches can be beneficial in | |
| weed control as well as helping to maintain | |
| soil moisture. | |
| Scab disease may be a problem (Figure 8). | |
| Scab is caused by a common soil borne | |
| organism that causes disease only on tubers. | |
| Some varieties are more resistant than others | |
| to scab; tolerant varieties include Onaway and | |
| Superior. Tubers with scab are fine to eat. Just | |
| peel or cut off the circular rough skin. | |
| Figure 8: Common scab disease in potato. | |
| Insects such as the Colorado potato beetle | |
| (Figure 9) can be controlled by destroying eggs | |
| which are laid on the underside of the leaf. This | |
| can be done by crushing the eggs or removing | |
| the leaf with the eggs and disposing of them in | |
| the trash away from the garden. Additionally, | |
| you will want to remove larva and adults by | |
| hand, disposing of them when the numbers are | |
| small. | |
| The potato is subject to several seed, foliar and | |
| tuber disorders that may affect quality and | |
| appearance. See Table 1 (Page 6) for | |
| information on the potato disorders most | |
| common to home gardeners. | |
| Figure 9: The Colorado potato beetle eggs, larvae | |
| and adult stages. | |
| Common Problems in Home Potato Gardens | |
| Table 1. Potato disorders, causes and remedies | |
| Symptom Possible Cause Remedy | |
| Seed Disorders | |
| Rotted seed pieces Soil too wet/cold or too hot/dry at planting Plant whole seed when soil temp. is > 45°F | |
| Foliar Disorders | |
| Reddish brown decay or lesions on | |
| sprout, below‐ground stem and stolons | |
| Rhizoctonia: develops in cold wet soils and | |
| when seed is planted too deep (> 3‐4 | |
| inches) | |
| Plant when soil temp. is above 45°F; plant | |
| seed pieces 3‐4 inches deep | |
| Black, wet rot of stem, mostly at ground | |
| level | |
| Bacterial soft rot; referred to as ""Blackleg"" Plant whole, certified seed | |
| Reduced plant growth, pale green or | |
| yellow leaf color and inward rolling of | |
| lower leaves | |
| Leaf‐roll virus Purchase new certified seed and control | |
| aphids to prevent spread | |
| Older leaves have small, dark | |
| brown/black lesions with concentric | |
| rings. Usually on maturing or stressed | |
| plants. | |
| Early blight Remove infected foliage from garden area | |
| Avoid plant stresses by supplying | |
| adequate water and nutrients | |
| Dark, water‐soaked areas on leaves and | |
| stems. May see a white mold growth on | |
| the underside of infected leaves. | |
| Late blight Remove infected foliage from garden area | |
| Keep foliage dry by watering at the base | |
| of the plant. | |
| Yellowing of lower leaves and early leaf | |
| drop | |
| Normal maturing or nitrogen deficiency Add nitrogen to the soil and water | |
| Leaf and petiole defoliation; presence | |
| of larvae, adult beetles and/or bright | |
| orange egg masses on the underside of | |
| leaves. | |
| Colorado potato beetle By hand collect insects in a container, | |
| place in freezer for 1 hour and discard. | |
| Leaf damage including: irregular holes, | |
| dry brown leaf margins, inward leaf | |
| rolling | |
| Insect damage from potato leafhopper or | |
| cabbage looper | |
| By hand collect insects in a container, | |
| place in freezer for 1 hour and discard. | |
| Tuber Disorders | |
| Green skin Exposure to sun or other light | |
| Develops over time | |
| Hill around plants, store potatoes in the | |
| dark | |
| Raised and/or pitted corky areas Common scab Use certified seed of resistant varieties. | |
| Avoid lime or manure the year potatoes | |
| are grown. Avoid carrots, beets and | |
| radishes as prior crops | |
| Knobby, misshapen tubers Physiological from inconsistent moisture | |
| levels | |
| Provide uniform growing conditions | |
| Splits in the tuber that are healed over‐ | |
| ""growth cracks"" | |
| Physiological (for example: inconsistent | |
| moisture levels) | |
| Provide uniform growing conditions | |
| Large, shallow gouges in tubers White grubs (large brown/cream larvae | |
| often curled into a C‐shape) | |
| Gardens near long grass are at greater | |
| risk | |
| Brown cavities near the heart of the | |
| tuber‐""hollow heart"" | |
| Physiological (seed pieces planted too far | |
| apart; inconsistent moisture levels) | |
| Plant seed closer to avoid oversized | |
| tubers; water consistently | |
| Planting and Care of Potatoes in Your Garden | |
| Harvesting | |
| Time of maturity varies for each variety. | |
| Indicators of tuber maturity include complete | |
| vine death, “skin set” (tuber skin does not peel | |
| from the flesh when pressure is applied) and | |
| desired tuber size. Mature tubers store better | |
| and are less likely to bruise or decay than | |
| immature tubers. | |
| New or small tubers can be harvested early | |
| without destroying the entire plant by careful | |
| digging and removing some of the tubers. The | |
| remaining tubers should be left to grow and | |
| reach full maturity. | |
| Harvest potatoes before a severe frost. Use a | |
| spade or fork to loosen the soil and gently lift | |
| the tubers out of the soil (Figure 10). To prevent | |
| greening and sunburn damage, do not allow | |
| tubers to be exposed to light after harvesting. | |
| Figure 10: Since potatoes grow underground, | |
| harvest time is always a big surprise! | |
| Storage | |
| For two to three weeks after harvest, store | |
| tubers in the dark at 55 to 60°F with high relative | |
| humidity to heal bruised and damaged areas that | |
| could provide entrance for disease organisms. | |
| Store only the healthy potatoes that are | |
| reasonably free from soil. | |
| After healing, proper storage conditions should | |
| include cool temperatures (near 40°F), darkness | |
| to prevent greening, high humidity and adequate | |
| ventilation. Storing tubers in plastic bags (or any | |
| tightly sealed container) will restrict the | |
| movement of fresh air around the tubers and | |
| can lead to rot. Store above freezing (root cellar) | |
| or garage if it does not freeze. | |
| Acknowledgements | |
| The authors wish to express their appreciation to | |
| the following for efforts in producing this guide: | |
| MSU Potato Breeding and Genetics Program. | |
| Daniel Zarka, Joseph Coombs, Kimberly Felcher, | |
| Karen Renner, Richard Chase, Anna Zarka, Evan | |
| Zarka | |
| Visit MSU’s Potato Breeding and Genetics | |
| Program website at | |
| https://www.msu.edu/~douchesd/ | |
| © Michigan State University and the MSU Potato Breeding and Genetics Program" | |
| "" | |
| "l/fr iC>:fiC- - Q O "" O L | |
| Introduction to | |
| potato production | |
| H.P. Beukema and D.E. van der Zaag | |
| """"\ | |
| Pudoc Wageningen 1990 | |
| 'SÀ/z ^?3/J | |
| CIP-Data Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Den Haag | |
| Beukema, H.P. | |
| Introduction to potato production / H.P. Beukema and D.E. van der Zaag. - | |
| Wageningen : Pudoc. - 111. | |
| With ref. | |
| ISBN 90-220-0963-7 bound | |
| SISO 632.4 UDC 633.491 NUGI 835 | |
| Subject heading: potato production. | |
| ISBN 90-220-0963-7 | |
| NUGI 835 | |
| The student edition of this book, distributed by the International Agricultural Centre, | |
| Wageningen, is not for sale. | |
| Cover: Fred Helfrich, Deventer. | |
| Photograph: CABO Photografic Service, Wageningen. | |
| © Centre for Agricultural Publishing and Documentation (Pudoc), Wageningen, 1990. | |
| No part of this publication, apart from bibliographic data and brief quotations | |
| embodied in critical reviews, may be reproduced, re-recorded or published in any | |
| form including print, photocopy, microfilm, electronic or electromagnetic record | |
| without written permission from the publisher: Pudoc, P.O. Box 4, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands. | |
| Printed in the Netherlands. | |
| Contents | |
| 12 | |
| 13 | |
| 13 | |
| 13 | |
| 14 | |
| 16 | |
| 18 | |
| 19 | |
| 21 | |
| 21 | |
| 23 | |
| Foreword | |
| W o | |
| The potato throughout the world, with special reference to the tropics | |
| and sub-tropics | |
| 1.1 Distribution | |
| 1.2 Recent developments in production | |
| 3 Utilization | |
| 1.4 Production systems | |
| 5 Production cost | |
| 6 Farm and consumer prices | |
| 7 Potatoes in comparison with other foodstuffs | |
| 8 Possibilities to increase potato consumption in the tropics and | |
| sub-tropics | |
| 1.9 Estimates of potential yield in the temperate zones and in the | |
| tropical and sub-tropical zones | |
| 25 | |
| 25 | |
| 26 | |
| 27 | |
| 28 | |
| 29 | |
| 30 | |
| 32 | |
| 32 | |
| 32 | |
| 32 | |
| 32 | |
| 33 | |
| 34 | |
| 34 | |
| 35 | |
| 35 | |
| 35 | |
| 37 | |
| 38 | |
| 38 | |
| The potato plant | |
| 2.1 Haulm | |
| 2.2 Roots | |
| 2.3 Tubers | |
| 2.3.1 Skin | |
| 2.3.2 Cork and wound-periderm formation | |
| 2.4 Sprouts | |
| Dormancy and sprout growth | |
| 3.1 Dormancy | |
| 3.2 Length of dormancy | |
| 3.2.1 Variety | |
| 3.2.2 Maturity of the tuber | |
| 3.2.3 Field and weather conditions during growth | |
| 3.2.4 Storage conditions | |
| 3.2.5 Injuries | |
| 3.3 Initiation of sprout growth | |
| 3.4 Sprout growth | |
| 3.4.1 Physiological stage of the tuber | |
| 3.4.2 Growth rate of sprouts and physiological age of the seed | |
| 3.4.3 Growth rate and de-sprouting | |
| 3.4.4 Growth rate of sprouts and temperature | |
| 39 3.4.5 Humidity and sprout growth | |
| 39 3.4.6 Light and sprout growth | |
| 39 3.4.7 Variety and sprout growth | |
| 39 3.4.8 Tuber size and sprout growth | |
| 41 3.5 Growth vigour | |
| 42 4 Crop ecophysiology | |
| 42 4.1 Introduction | |
| 42 4.2 Production determining factors | |
| 42 4.2.1 Photosynthesis | |
| 42 4.2.1.1 Introduction | |
| 43 4.2.1.2 Temperature | |
| 44 4.2.1.3 Light intensity and light interception | |
| 46 4.2.1.4 Leafage | |
| 47 4.2.1.5 Carbon dioxide concentration | |
| 50 4.2.2 Respiration | |
| 52 4.2.3 Partitioning of assimilates | |
| 53 4.3 Factors determining growing pattern | |
| 53 4.3.1 Introduction | |
| 53 4.3.2 Pre-emergence and emergence | |
| 53 4.3.3 Haulm growth - tuber growth | |
| 54 4.3.4 Factors affecting haulm growth and tuber growth | |
| 54 4.3.4.1 Day length and temperature | |
| 56 4.3.4.2 Light intensity | |
| 56 4.3.4.3 Physiological age of the seed | |
| 56 4.3.4.4 Plant density | |
| 56 4.3.4.5 Nitrogen and water | |
| 57 4.3.4.6 Varieties and species | |
| 57 4.3.4.7 Growth regulators | |
| 57 4.3.5 Interaction of factors influencing the growth pattern | |
| 57 4.3.6 Flowering | |
| 58 4.4 Tuber yield | |
| 58 4.4.1 Introduction | |
| 58 4.4.2 Tuber yield expressed as daily production and number of days | |
| 58 4.4.2.1 Daily production | |
| 60 4.4.2.2 Number of production days | |
| 60 4.4.3 Tuber yield explained in terms of intercepted PAR, utilization | |
| coefficient of foliage, harvest index and tuber dry matter | |
| 61 5 A method for calculating tuber yield | |
| 61 5.1 Methods for simulating crop growth and/or calculating tuber | |
| yield | |
| 62 5.2 Explanation of this simple model for calculating tuber yield | |
| 63 5.3 An example of how to calculate tuber yield, cumulative light | |
| interception and utilization efficiency of foliage | |
| 65 5.4 Application of the model | |
| 65 5.4.1 Calculating potential yield | |
| 66 5.4.2 Identifying production contrains in a region | |
| 67 5.4.3 Explaining differences in yield in field experiments | |
| 69 6 Marketable yield and plant population | |
| 69 6.1 Yield and tuber size | |
| 70 6.2 Plant density and tuber size | |
| 71 6.3 Plant density and seed rate | |
| 71 6.3.1 Number of sprouts per seed tuber | |
| 72 6.3.2 Potential number of sprouts and plant density | |
| 72 6.3.2.1 Number of sprouts planted and number of main stems | |
| 73 6.3.2.2 Sprout damage and number of stems | |
| 73 6.3.2.3 Soil conditions and number of stems | |
| 73 6.4 Distribution of stems | |
| 73 6.4.1 Seed size and distribution of stems | |
| 74 6.4.2 Row distance and distribution of stems | |
| 74 6.5 Optimum density - seed rate | |
| 76 6.6 Density and multiplication rate | |
| 77 7 Seed requirements - seed treatment | |
| 77 7.1 Standards of health in relation to virus diseases | |
| 79 7.2 Seed size - sorting and grading | |
| 80 7.3 Physiological age and storage of seed | |
| 80 7.'4 Temporary storage of seed | |
| 81 7.5 Breaking dormancy | |
| 81 7.6 Seed cutting | |
| 82 7.6.1 Measures to prevent seed piece decay | |
| 83 7.6.2 Seed cutting in practice | |
| 83 7.7 Pre-sprouting | |
| 85 8 Soil requirements: seed bed preparation, planting and ridging | |
| 85 8.1 Impermeable layers | |
| 85 8.2 Emergence and seed bed | |
| 87 8.3 Planting depth and emergence | |
| 87 8.4 Planting depth and covering the developing tubers with soil | |
| 88 8.5 Seed bed preparation | |
| 88 8.6 Ridging and time for final earthing up | |
| 88 8.6.1 Soil moisture and soil temperature | |
| 89 8.6.2 Weed control | |
| 89 8.7 Planting and ridging systems in the Netherlands | |
| 89 8.7.1 Light soils | |
| 89 8.7.2 Medium light soils | |
| 90 8.7.3 Medium heavy soils | |
| 90 8.8 Planting and ridging in other regions | |
| 92 9 Manuring | |
| 92 9.1 Nutrients affecting yield and quality | |
| 94 9.2 Placing fertilizers | |
| 95 9.3 Farmyard manure | |
| 97 10 Water supply | |
| 97 10.1 Effect on growth, yield and tuber quality | |
| 97 10.1.1 Period between planting and emergence | |
| 97 10.1.2 Period between emergence and beginning of tuber growth | |
| 98 10.1.3 Period after the beginning of tuber growth (bulking period) | |
| 99 10.2 Amount of water needed | |
| 99 10.2.1 Evapotranspiration and transpiration | |
| 102 10.2.2 Amount of soil water available for crop growth | |
| 103 10.2.3 Water supply to replenish soil moisture used | |
| 106 10.3 Irrigation systems | |
| 106 10.3.1 Furrow irrigation | |
| 106 10.3.2 Sprinkler irrigation | |
| 108 11 Specific weather conditions affecting yield and quality | |
| 108 11.1 Hail and night frost | |
| 108 11.2 High temperatures | |
| 108 11.2.1 Second growth | |
| 109 11.2.2 Internal brown spot | |
| 110 11.2.3 Black heart | |
| 111 12 Tuber quality | |
| 111 12.1 Dry matter content | |
| 113 12.1.1 Variation in dry matter content between tubers of the same | |
| batch | |
| 114 12.2 Reducing sugar content | |
| 114 12.2.1 Variety | |
| 114 12.2.2 Degree of maturity of the tubers | |
| 115 12.2.3 Growing conditions | |
| 116 12.2.4 Storage temperature | |
| 118 12.2.5 Physiological development of tubers | |
| 118 12.3 Discolouration after peeling and black spot | |
| 120 12.4 Discolouration after cooking | |
| 120 12.4.1 pH | |
| 120 12.4.2 Ratio of citric acid to chlorogenic acid | |
| 121 12.4.3 Factors influencing discolouration | |
| 121 12.5 Glycoalkaloids | |
| 122 12.5.1 Variety | |
| 123 12.5.2 Conditions and circumstances influencing the SG content of | |
| tubers | |
| 124 13 Disease and pest control systems | |
| 124 13.1 Disease and its control | |
| 124 13.1.1 Integrated control of diseases | |
| 124 13.1.2 Reduction of crop losses | |
| 125 13.1.3 Preventing the introduction of diseases | |
| 125 13.2 General methods of disease and pest control | |
| 125 13.2.1 Cultural practices | |
| 126 13.2.1.1 Soil tillage, planting and ridging methods | |
| 126 13.2.1.2 Seed preparation | |
| 127 13.2.1.3 Water supply: drainage and irrigation | |
| 127 13.2.1.4 Roguing and haulm destruction | |
| 128 13.2.1.5 Harvest, handling and storage methods | |
| 128 13.2.2 Use of clean seed | |
| 128 13.2.3 Tuber disinfection | |
| 128 13.2.3.1 Pre-storage treatment | |
| 129 13.2.3.2 Wet treatment of tubers | |
| 129 13.2.3.3 Fumigation of tubers | |
| 129 13.2.3.4 Dusting tubers at the time of planting | |
| 130 13.2.4 Soil treatment | |
| 130 13.2.5 Foliar application of fungicides | |
| 131 13.2.6 Rotation | |
| 131 13.2.7 Isolation | |
| 131 13.3 Control of virus diseases | |
| 133 13.4 Insect control | |
| 134 14 Carves* | |
| 134 | |
| < ^JAi_JHme | |
| of harvest^ | |
| 135 14.2 Haulm destruction | |
| 136 14.2.1 Methods of haulm destruction | |
| 137 14.2.2 Stem end and vascular ring necrosis | |
| 137 14.3 Harvesting operations, transport and storage | |
| 138 14.3.1 Time between lifting and collection | |
| 138 14.3.2 ! Damage during transport and grading | |
| 139 15 Storage principles | |
| 139 15.1 Methods and duration of storage | |
| 140 15.2 Storage losses and storage requirements | |
| 140 15.2.1 Evaporation losses | |
| 141 15.2.2 Respiration losses | |
| 142 15.2.3 Sprout growth losses | |
| 142 15.2.4 Losses caused by fungi, bacteria and insects | |
| 143 15.2.5 Physiological stage | |
| 143 15.2.6 Chemical composition | |
| 144 15.3 'Aspects' affecting the keeping quality of tubers | |
| 144 15.3.1 Tuber quality and skin | |
| 144 15.3.2 Ventilation | |
| 148 15.3.3 Temperature | |
| 148 15.3.3.1 Storage in the soil | |
| 149 15.3.3.2 Naturally ventilated stores | |
| 150 15.3.3.3 Outside air cooling with forced ventilation | |
| 151 15.3.3.4 Refrigeration | |
| 152 15.3.4 Moisture and humidity | |
| 153 15.3.5 Light | |
| 154 15.3.6 Chemicals | |
| 154 15.4 Storage methods and storage capacity | |
| 155 16 Seed potatoes: quality, use, supply and production | |
| 155 16.1 Quality | |
| 155 16.1.1 Multiplication rate and degeneration rate | |
| 157 16.1.2 Physiological age and storage of seed | |
| 159 16.1.3 Fungal and bacterial diseases, nematodes | |
| 160 16.2 Seed use and supply | |
| 160 16.2.1 Methods of improving and/or maintaining seed stocks at | |
| farm level | |
| 161 16.2.1.1 Adjustment of planting seasons | |
| 161 16.2.1.2 Selection | |
| 162 16.2.1.3 Disinfection of seed | |
| 163 16.2.2 Seed sources | |
| 164 16.3 Seed programmes | |
| 164 16.3.1 'Complete'seed programmes versus'incomplete'programmes | |
| 165 16.3.2 Organization of a seed programme and its objectives | |
| 168 16.3.3 The seed market and seed quantity and quality | |
| 168 16.3.4 Management, production and storage | |
| 169 16.3.5 Seed quality and rational use | |
| 169 16.4 Basic seed production | |
| 169 16.4.1 Clonal selection | |
| 170 16.4.2 Rapid multiplication | |
| 171 16.4.3 Multiplication in test tubes (in-vitro multiplication) | |
| 171 J^46.4.4 True potato seed (TPS) | |
| 172 16.5 Seed potato production and virus diseases | |
| 173 16.5.1 Infection sources and isolated areas | |
| 173 16.5.2 Low vector population | |
| 174 16.5.2.1 Aphid population | |
| 175 16.5.3 Vector control | |
| 176 16.5.4 Mineral oils | |
| 176 16.5.5 Maturity resistance | |
| 176 16.5.6 Resistant varieties | |
| 176 16.6 Seed quality and inspection | |
| 178 16.6.1 Field inspection | |
| 178 16.6.2 Laboratory tests | |
| 179 16.6.3 Post-harvest control | |
| 179 16.6.4 Bulk inspection | |
| 179 16.6.5 Verification plots, check plots or control plots | |
| 180 16.6.6 Seed inspection regulations | |
| 181 16.6.7 Seed certification in the Netherlands | |
| 182 16.6.7.1 Plant quarantine regulations | |
| 182 16.6.7.2 Quality of seed planted | |
| 183 16.6.7.3 Field inspection and additional laboratory tests | |
| 184 16.6.7.4 Lifting dates - haulm destruction dates | |
| 184 16.6.7.5 Post-harvest control | |
| 184 16.6.7.6 Bulk inspection - certification | |
| 185 16.6.7.7 Verification plots | |
| 185 16.6.8 Development of seed tolerances | |
| 186 17 Varieties and breeding | |
| 186 17.1 Developments in potato breeding | |
| 187 17.2 Vegetative reproduction | |
| 187 17.3 Phenotype variation | |
| 187 17.3.1 Tetraploids | |
| 188 17.3.2 Diploids | |
| 189 17.3.3 Wild and primitive potato species | |
| 190 17.3.4 Environmental variation | |
| 190 17.3.5 Expected progress in breeding | |
| 191 17.4 Breeding objectives and choice of parents | |
| 192 17.5 Flowering, pollen and seed | |
| 192 17.6 Selection procedures | |
| 193 ,17.7 Breeding methods | |
| 194 117.7.1 New methods and techniques | |
| 195 Î7.1T Varieties and their properties | |
| 195 17.9 Determination of characteristics | |
| 195 17.9.1 Indirect evaluation | |
| 196 17.9.1.1 Yield characteristics | |
| 196 17.9.1.2 Tolerance of weather conditions and physiological disorders | |
| 196 17.9.2 Direct tests | |
| 196 17.9.2.1 Potato leaf roll virus | |
| 197 17.9.2.2 Field resistance to viruses X, S, M, Y | |
| 197 17.9.2.3 Immunity to viruses A, X and Y | |
| 197 17.9.2.4 Virus tolerance | |
| 198 17.9.2.5 Resistance to common scab | |
| 198 17.9.2.6 Late blight resistance | |
| 199 17.10 Variety testing programme | |
| 200 17.10.1 Preliminary trials | |
| 200 17.10.2 Regional trials | |
| 200 17.10.3 Introductory trials | |
| 201 References | |
| 206 Appendices | |
| 208 The authors | |
| Foreword | |
| The contents of this book are similar to the syllabi used in the International Potato | |
| Course, mainly intended for students from tropical and sub-tropical countries, which | |
| is organized annually by the International Agricultural Centre at Wageningen. Soon | |
| after the start of the Course in 1972 wider interest was expressed in these syllabi. | |
| Therefore it was decided to bring them together in a book in a revised edition. | |
| After 9 years the first edition is out of print. In this second edition some new | |
| chapters have been added, some chapters have been drastically revised and in various | |
| other chapters only a few minor alterations have been introduced. However, the | |
| purpose of this book has not changed. It is still the intention of the authors that the | |
| book should help the reader to discover the most important factors which influence | |
| the production and development of the potato crop and to comprehend their interaction. For it is only with an adequate understanding of and insight into the crop that | |
| reliable proposals for crop improvement can be made. Review literature has been | |
| restricted as much as possible to prevent the reader from being unable see the wood | |
| for the trees. If he or she needs more information about literature on a specific topic, | |
| the existing potato handbooks should be consulted. We believe that our publication | |
| does not compete with them, but will serve as a supplement to these handbooks and | |
| to existing practical guides for potato production. At least that was our intention, | |
| although we have to admit that some chapters more closely resemble the syllabus than | |
| others with the consequence that some topics are discussed on more than one place. | |
| Nevertheless, we hope that this revised publication will also find its niche. | |
| 1 The potato throughout the world, with special | |
| reference to the tropics and sub-tropics | |
| 1.1 Distribution | |
| After maize the potato is the most widely distributed crop in the world. It is grown | |
| in about 140 countries, more than 100 of which are located in the tropical and subtropical zones. However, most production is still concentrated in the temperate | |
| regions in the industrialized countries. Almost a third of the crop is produced in | |
| developing countries, mainly the countries in Asia (table 1). | |
| The potato originates from the mountains of South America where it has been an | |
| important food crop for a long time. In the 16th century the potato was introduced | |
| to Europe as a curiosity. Gradually it became a food crop, especially when varieties | |
| were selected which were adapted to the long day conditions. In the 18th and 19th | |
| centuries it was already an important food crop, especially for the poor in various | |
| countries in Europe. In North America too, where immigrants from Europe had taken | |
| tubers along with them, it found its place among other food crops. During the 19th | |
| century the potato was introduced to several tropical and sub-tropical countries, | |
| mainly by colonists from Europe. | |
| In more recent years the potato has spread to many countries with warmer and drier | |
| climates and it has become important in regions such as North Africa, the plains of | |
| India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, Central America, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and the | |
| coastal plains of Peru. | |
| 1.2 Recent developments in production | |
| During the last decade the total area of the world cropped with potatoes has | |
| decreased slightly. The area decreased in Western Europe, but remained fairly stable | |
| Table I. Potato production throughout the world (FAO Production Yearbook, 1986). | |
| World | |
| Countries with market economies | |
| industrialized countries | |
| developing countries | |
| Countries with centrally planned economies | |
| Europe (incl. USSR) | |
| Asia | |
| 13 | |
| Number of | |
| countries | |
| 129 | |
| 27 | |
| 90 | |
| 8 | |
| 4 | |
| Production | |
| (106 | |
| tonnes) | |
| 309 | |
| 74 | |
| 38 | |
| 150 | |
| 47 | |
| 14 INTRODUCTION TO POTATO PRODUCTION | |
| 1 | |
| AREA | |
| Asian (CPE] | |
| ^~^~-^____^ '~ËE ' •—. | |
| 74/ 75/ 76/ 77/ 78/ 79/ 80/ 81/ 82/ 83/ 84/ | |
| /76 /77 /78 /79 /SO /81 '82 /83 /84 /85 /86 | |
| 7V76 | |
| 75/77 | |
| 76/78 | |
| 77/79 | |
| 7 % 0 | |
| 7%1 | |
| B%2 | |
| 81/83 | |
| 82/84 | |
| 83 / 8 5 | |
| 8V6 6 | |
| Fig. 1. Land area in potatoes and potato production in countries in the Northern Hemisphere | |
| with market economies and in centrally planned economies (CPE) 1974/76-1984/86 (3-year | |
| moving averages; 1974/76 = 100; based on data from FAO Production Yearbooks). N.A. = | |
| North America; W.E. = Western Europe; E.E. = Eastern Europe (CPE). | |
| in Asian countries with centrally planned economies (CPE) (fig. 1) and increased | |
| considerably in the developing countries with the exception of Latin America (fig. 2). | |
| During this period total production in Europe and North America did not change | |
| much (fig. 1), but increased considerably in the developing countries (figures 1 and | |
| 2). The greatest increase in production occurred in Asia and Africa. Total production | |
| almost doubled in the Asian countries with market economies. This increase in | |
| production is partly due to increases in yield and area (e.g.in Asia) or only due to an | |
| increase in yield (e.g. in Europe, North America and Latin America) or only due to | |
| an increase in area (e.g. in Africa). | |
| 1.3 Utilization | |
| Less than half of the total potato production is used for human consumption (table | |
| 2). In 1982 almost a third was still used for stock feed, mainly in Eastern Europe | |
| (Poland and USSR). Potatoes for starch' production are concentrated in the Netherlands, Eastern Europe and Japan. The use of potatoes for alcohol production is | |
| negligible. | |
| The large amount of potatoes used for fodder is also demonstrated by the big | |
| THE POTATO THOUGHOUT THE WORLD 15 | |
| IbU | |
| 150 | |
| 140 | |
| 130 | |
| i?n | |
| 110 | |
| 100 | |
| qn | |
| <<• | |
| AREA Africa ^^ | |
| ^ / | |
| I l l I I | |
| 79/e, | |
| 8%2 | |
| 8,/e3 | |
| 82 /k | |
| 1ÖU | |
| 170 | |
| 160 | |
| 150 | |
| 140 | |
| 130 | |
| 120 | |
| 110 | |
| 100 | |
| 90 | |
| PRODUCTION | |
| F.E„'- | |
| / ' / | |
| / / / / | |
| / / « | |
| / /' /^ \ / / /Africa | |
| // / | |
| ^ / | |
| --""'''S / ^ | |
| ''''"" / /*^ ,'' / / | |
| s^ | |
| ''/' /—-—-^ LA | |
| • ' '^ ^ | |
| ^-—-^""^ | |
| i i i i i i i i i i | |
| 7V76 | |
| n l n | |
| 76/78 | |
| 77/79 | |
| 78/80 | |
| 7%1 ,2/84 | |
| 83/8= | |
| Fig. 2. Land area in potatoes and potato production in developing market economies | |
| 1974/76-1984/86 (3-year moving averages; 1974/76 = 100; based on data from FAO Production Yearbooks). F.E. = Far East; N.E. = Near East, L.A. = Latin America. | |
| difference in potato production and consumption per head of population in Eastern | |
| Europe (table 3). Production per capita is still low in the developing countries | |
| particularly in Africa and the Far East. Consequently, consumption per capita is also | |
| low in these regions but is increasing in most developing countries. In Western Europe | |
| and North America consumption per capita has decreased, but has remained fairly | |
| stable during the last decade. In Eastern Europe consumption per capita is higher than | |
| in Western Europe but seems to have decreased slightly. | |
| 16 INTRODUCTION TO POTATO PRODUCTION | |
| Table 2. Utilization of the world potato crop (van der Zaag & Horton, 1983; based on datafrom | |
| C1P, 1982). | |
| Use | |
| Human consumption | |
| Stock feed | |
| Seed | |
| Starch | |
| Quantity (106 | |
| tonne) | |
| 126 | |
| 88 | |
| 39 | |
| 6 | |
| Percentage of total | |
| 45 | |
| 31 | |
| 14 | |
| 2 | |
| Table 3. Potato production and consumption (in kg) per capita 1980/'82 (Horton & Fano, 1985). | |
| World | |
| Developed market economies | |
| North America | |
| Western Europe | |
| Oceania | |
| Developing market economies | |
| Africa | |
| Latin America | |
| Near East | |
| Far East | |
| Centrally planned economies | |
| Asia | |
| Eastern Europe (incl. USSR) | |
| Production | |
| 66 | |
| 89 | |
| 69 | |
| 129 | |
| 62 | |
| 15 | |
| 9 | |
| 31 | |
| 29 | |
| 10 | |
| 126 | |
| 54 | |
| 331 | |
| Consumption | |
| 28 | |
| 55 | |
| 54 | |
| 73 | |
| 52 | |
| 11 | |
| 7 | |
| 23 | |
| 22 | |
| 7 | |
| 38 | |
| 28 | |
| 94 | |
| 1.4 Production systems | |
| In the industrialized countries, particularly in North America, and in most countries of Western Europe, potato production has been almost completely mechanized. | |
| One hectare of ware potatoes (50 tonnes) can now be produced and stored in about | |
| 20-40 man hours only, whereas some 30 years ago, one hectare (30 tonnes) required | |
| over 200 man hours. This reduction in labour was coupled with heavy investment in | |
| machines and stores. Another consequence of this mechanization is the concentration | |
| and specialization of the crop on special farms and in certain regions. | |
| In Western Europe potato production has greatly decreased e.g. in West Germany | |
| and France, but it has increased in the Netherlands. Approximately two thirds of the | |
| Netherlands' total production is exported in fresh or processed form. | |
| There is a wide variation in production systems in the developing countries, | |
| depending on local growing and market conditions. In the Andes, Central Africa and | |
| the Himalaya region, the potato is produced usually by small subsistence farmers who | |
| grow less than 1-2 ha on a number of small scattered fields. In these areas a typical | |
| rainfed crop is often subject to poor weather conditions such as drought, heavy rains, | |
| frost, hail and typhoons. Part of the crop harvested is kept for seed. In regions where | |
| THE POTATO THOUGHOUT THE WORLD 17 | |
| potatoes are relatively cheap, which is usually the case at high altitudes, a large | |
| proportion of the crop is stored in a very simple way and used for home consumption. | |
| In regions where potatoes are relatively expensive, such as in Central America and | |
| South East Asia, the farmers sell a large proportion to purchase cheaper food with | |
| the earnings and possibly means to improve crop production. This is certainly the case | |
| in regions where the crop is irrigated e.g. North Africa, the plains in India, Bangladesh | |
| and Pakistan. Owing to its short growing season the potato plays an important role | |
| , in: | |
| - several vegetable production regions e.g. in Sri Lanka | |
| - in crop rotations with rice and wheat e.g. in the Punjab in India | |
| - in intercropping with beans, maize and sugar cane (e.g. on Mauritius). | |
| The potato is not a suitable crop for the hot and humid lowlands where temperature | |
| is high the whole year round. | |
| On the upper slopes of the Andes old varieties (usually S. andigenum) with a long | |
| vegetative period are used. These varieties are highly resistant to Phytophthora | |
| infestans and are able to regenerate when damaged by extreme weather conditions | |
| such as frost or hail. Moreover, the field of crop which is used for home consumption | |
| is very often planted with a mixture of several varieties. In Colombia it has been | |
| proven that by crossing with S. tuberosum, varieties can be developed with a shorter | |
| growing period which are still suitable for production in the mountains. In most | |
| regions of the world varieties are used with a rather short vegetative period, particularly in the tropics and sub-tropics where under short day conditions the vegetative | |
| period of the imported varieties from the temperate zones becomes even shorter. | |
| In comparison with other food crops the production of the potato, expressed in | |
| dry matter, energy or protein per hectare and per day, is high (table 4). With regard | |
| to energy efficiency the potato may well be the best crop in the tropics and sub-tropics | |
| and it is probably one of the best crops for protein production. Owing to its short | |
| vegetative period (under short day growing conditions usually less than 100-120 days) | |
| and its high efficiency in producing energy and valuable protein it is a favoured crop | |
| in rotations where a short growing period fits in well. | |
| Table 4. Top ranking food crops in terms of production of dry matter, edible energy and protein | |
| in developing market economies (Horton & Fano, 1985). | |
| Rank | |
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | |
| Dry matter | |
| Cassava | |
| Yams | |
| Potatoes | |
| (t/ha) | |
| Sweet potatoes | |
| Rice | |
| Carrots | |
| Cabbages | |
| Bananas | |
| Wheat | |
| Maize | |
| 3.0 | |
| 2.4 | |
| 2.2 | |
| 2.1 | |
| 1.9 | |
| 1.7 | |
| 1.6 | |
| 1.5 | |
| 1.3 | |
| 1.3 | |
| Energy (MJ/ha | |
| Potatoes | |
| Yams | |
| Carrots | |
| Maize | |
| Cabbages | |
| Sweet potatoes | |
| Rice | |
| Wheat | |
| Cassava | |
| Eggplants | |
| per day) | |
| 216 | |
| 182 | |
| 162 | |
| 159 | |
| 156 | |
| 152 | |
| 151 | |
| 135 | |
| 121 | |
| 120 | |
| Protein (kg/ha per day) | |
| Cabbages | |
| Dry broad | |
| Potatoes | |
| Dry peas | |
| Eggplants | |
| Wheat | |
| Lentils | |
| Tomatoes | |
| Chickpeas | |
| Carrots | |
| beans | |
| 2.0 | |
| 1.6 | |
| 1.4 | |
| 1.4 | |
| 1.4 | |
| 1.3 | |
| 1.3 | |
| 1.2 | |
| 1.1 | |
| 1.0 | |
| 18 INTRODUCTION TO POTATO PRODUCTION | |
| 1.5 Production cost | |
| It is very difficult to make a correct comparison of production costs between regions | |
| or countries. This is due to the wide variation in production conditions and production systems and by differences in methods of calculating these costs. Nevertheless it | |
| is evident that in the developing countries as a whole, the production cost per unit | |
| of energy and protein for potatoes is on average two or three times higher than for | |
| rice or wheat (bread), whereas in an industrialized country such as the Netherlands, | |
| these costs are only slightly higher for potatoes than for wheat or sugar beet (sugar) | |
| (table 5). | |
| Some information about the structure of the production costs may be useful. Table | |
| 6 gives some indication about this. In the six developing countries mentioned in this | |
| Table 5. Production cost and consumer price of potatoes and some other foods (in US $) in 1981 | |
| (partly after van der Zaag & Horton, 1983). | |
| Yield Production cost Consumer price' | |
| (t/ha) | |
| (ha) energy protein energy protein | |
| (10« kJ) (kg) (10« kJ) (kg) | |
| Developing countries | |
| Potatoes | |
| Wheat (bread) \ | |
| Rice | |
| Netherlands | |
| Potatoes | |
| Wheat (bread) | |
| Sugar beet (sug | |
| uf | |
| ar) | |
| 10.5 | |
| 1.4 | |
| 2.1 | |
| 45 | |
| 6.5 | |
| 50 | |
| 1520 | |
| 250 | |
| 380 | |
| 2500 | |
| 1400 | |
| 1900 | |
| 47 | |
| 14 | |
| 18 | |
| 18 | |
| 17 | |
| 14 | |
| 7 | |
| 2 | |
| 4 | |
| 3 | |
| 2 | |
| - | |
| 114 | |
| 47 | |
| 52 | |
| 95 | |
| 116 | |
| 52 | |
| 18 | |
| 5 | |
| 11 | |
| 15 | |
| 13 | |
| - | |
| 1. Edible part of the foods. | |
| Table 6. Cost structure for the potato crop in some selected countries (van der Zaag & Horton, | |
| 1983). | |
| Structure | |
| Labour | |
| Equipment | |
| (incl. fuel) | |
| Seed | |
| Fertilizers | |
| chemical | |
| organic | |
| Pesticides | |
| Peru | |
| 16 | |
| 10 | |
| 29 | |
| 14 | |
| 14 | |
| 17 | |
| Colombia | |
| 34 | |
| 6 | |
| 24 | |
| 22 | |
| 0 | |
| 14 | |
| Bangladesh | |
| 20 | |
| 15 | |
| 36 | |
| 26 | |
| 2 | |
| 1 | |
| India | |
| 18 | |
| 6 | |
| 45 | |
| 18 | |
| 9 | |
| 4 | |
| Kenya | |
| 54 | |
| 6 | |
| 21 | |
| 4 | |
| 8 | |
| 7 | |
| Rwanda | |
| 62 | |
| 0 | |
| 38 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| 0 | |
| Netherlands | |
| 20 | |
| 38 | |
| 20 | |
| 12 | |
| 0 | |
| 10 | |
| 1. Fixed costs not included. | |
| THE POTATO THOUGHOUT THE WORLD 19 | |
| table, labour and seed potatoes form the major costs (34 % and 32 % respectively), | |
| whilst in the Netherlands the cost of equipment predominates. | |
| 1.6 Farm and consumer prices | |
| Obviously a crop which is liable to wide variation in yield and which cannot be | |
| easily stored well in a hot climate, will show wide variations in farm and consumer | |
| prices. In almost all developing countries where potato production is of some importance, prices drop sharply at harvest time in spite of growing more than one crop per | |
| year (fig. 3). | |
| Nevertheless, the farm price as a percentage of the retail price seems to be much | |
| larger in developing countries than in some industrialized countries (table 7). | |
| As the consumer (or retail) price can vary greatly even in one region, it will be | |
| difficult to make a correct comparison between the consumer price of potatoes and | |
| some other foods for different parts of the world. However, table 8 gives the reader | |
| at least some indication about the price ratio between potatoes and other foods in | |
| various parts of the world. As bread or wheat flour is often subsidized and, moreover, | |
| as in most developing countries potatoes must be considered as a vegetable, it is better | |
| to compare potato prices with vegetable prices (table 9). Potatoes appear to be much | |
| cheaper than most common vegetables. | |
| S H/ | |
| 120 | |
| 110 | |
| 100 | |
| 90 | |
| 80 | |
| 70 | |
| 60 | |
| .Harvest 2m 3m 4m 5m, .Harvest 2m 3m 4m 5m, | |
| 2 4 6 8 10 12 H 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 3« 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 | |
| weeks | |
| Fig. 3. Average constant weekly wholesale prices for potatoes in Wakulina market, Nairobi | |
| 1973-77 (two-week moving average) (source: Ministry of Agriculture in Kenya, published by | |
| Durr & Lorenzl, 1980). | |
| Table 7. Farm price as a percentage of retail price in selected regions and countries (number of | |
| countries between brackets) based on FAO, unpublished; ILO, 1978; van der Zaag & Horton, | |
| 1983). | |
| Africa (10) | |
| Latin America (6) | |
| Near East (2) | |
| 52 | |
| 69 | |
| 54 | |
| Far East (7) | |
| North America (2) | |
| The Netherlands | |
| 61 | |
| 22 | |
| 33 | |
| 20 INTRODUCTION TO POTATO PRODUCTION | |
| Table 8. Average cost (in US $) of 106 | |
| kJ food energy and 1 kg protein from potatoes, bread and | |
| rice 1977 (number of countries between brackets) (van der Zaag & Horton, 1983). | |
| Potatoes Bread Rice | |
| energy / protein energy protein energy protein | |
| Developed countries | |
| USA | |
| Western Europe (14) | |
| Eastern Europe (4) | |
| Developing countries | |
| Africa (20) | |
| Latin America (13) | |
| Near East (4) | |
| Far East (9) | |
| 129 | |
| 87 | |
| 126 | |
| 171 | |
| 129 | |
| 142 | |
| 90 | |
| 20 | |
| 14 | |
| 20 | |
| 27 | |
| 20 | |
| 22 | |
| 24 | |
| 90 | |
| 03 | |
| 83 | |
| 61 | |
| 77 | |
| 34 | |
| 61 | |
| 10 | |
| 12 | |
| 9 | |
| 7 | |
| 9 | |
| 4 | |
| 7 | |
| 56 | |
| 79 | |
| 85 | |
| 50 | |
| 40 | |
| 61 | |
| 24 | |
| 11 | |
| 16 | |
| 17 | |
| 10 | |
| 8 | |
| 12 | |
| 5 | |
| fresh weight | |
| 100 | |
| 193 | |
| 157 | |
| 119 | |
| 139 | |
| energy | |
| 100 | |
| 911 | |
| 284 | |
| 338 | |
| 459 | |
| protein | |
| 100 | |
| 186 | |
| 314 | |
| 238 | |
| 139 | |
| Table 9. Relationship between the average consumer price of potatoes and some other selected | |
| vegetables in the capitals of several developing countries (number of cities on which the price is | |
| based is given between brackets) (Preise und Preinsindizes im Ausland, Reihe 11, 1984). | |
| Vegetables Consumer price per unit | |
| Potatoes (10) | |
| Tomatoes (9) | |
| Onions (9) | |
| Carrots (6) | |
| Cabbages (5) | |
| Why is the retail price ratio of potatoes, as expressed in terms of energy and protein, | |
| with other staple foods so much higher in developing countries than say, in the | |
| Netherlands (tables 5 and 8)? It seems very likely that the relatively high production | |
| cost of potatoes in most developing countries is the main reason for this fairly high | |
| consumer price and that this high price is largely not caused by a high marketing | |
| margin (table 7), as is often supposed. Differences in the position of the potato crop | |
| in the various growing regions are so wide that after this very general description and | |
| conclusion, a more specific description would be useful. | |
| In the uplands of the tropics and sub-tropics the potato is usually the main food | |
| crop and can compete easily in price with other foodstuffs. | |
| In the irrigated regions at harvest and shortly thereafter the potato is competitive | |
| in price with non-subsidized staple food, e.g. with rice in Bangladesh. After this period | |
| the potato should be considered as a vegetable. | |
| In several regions where the potato has been introduced recently, the potato is still | |
| often a luxury vegetable, but with the potential to become a cheap vegetable provided | |
| that the production conditions are not marginal. | |
| THE POTATO THOUGHOUT THE WORLD 21 | |
| 1.7 Potatoes in comparison with other foodstuffs | |
| From the point of view of nutritive value the potato is competitive with other | |
| foodstuffs (table 10). The reader is referred to 'The potato in the human diet' by | |
| Jennifer A. Woolfe for further information. | |
| 1.8 Possibilities to increase potato consumption in the tropics and sub-tropics | |
| In the industrialized countries potato consumption has decreased with increase in | |
| income. But for the 51 developing countries with a low consumption per capita it has | |
| been estimated that potato consumption will increase by about 2 % if the price | |
| decreases by 1 %, and that consumption will increase by the same percentage as the | |
| increase in income (van der Zaag & Horton, 1983). A decrease in the retail price | |
| should be accomplished by reducing the production cost per unit weight, which can | |
| be done in two ways: by reducing production cost per ha while maintaining yield and | |
| by increasing the yield while holding the cost per hectare steady. | |
| Reducing the production cost per hectare will be achieved by reducing the major | |
| costs which, in the developing countries, are labour and seed potatoes (table 6). | |
| Although this should receive a great deal of attention, even more may be expected | |
| from an increase in yield. | |
| Figure 4 shows that during the last 15 years much has been achieved in the | |
| developing countries. During the period 1965-1980, the accumulated calculated | |
| increase in yield expressed in terms of energy and protein in all developing countries | |
| with market economies was even higher for potatoes than for wheat and rice (van der | |
| Zaag & Horton, 1983). There is no reason to suppose that this increase in yield cannot | |
| be continued, although it should not be expected that a yield level can be attained | |
| in the tropics and sub-tropics which is similar to the yield level in the temperate zones. | |
| To prove this statement we must introduce the concept of potential yield or biological | |
| yield. | |
| 7V76 | |
| 75/77 | |
| 76 / 7 8 ""/79 | |
| 7%0 | |
| 79/81 | |
| 8%2 % ""/u 83/85 | |
| 8'/86 | |
| Fig. 4. Potato yields in developing market economies 1974/76-1984/86 (3-year moving averages 1974/76 = 100; based on data from FAO Production Yearbooks). F.E. = Far East; N.E. | |
| = Near East; L.A. = Latin America. | |
| 22 INTRODUCTION TO POTATO PRODUCTION | |
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| "The University of California Vegetable Research and Information Center | |
| VEGETABLE GARDENING | |
| Growing Potatoes | |
| The authors are Harwood Hall, Farm Advisor, Susan Wada, Technician, | |
| and Ronald E. Voss, Extension Vegetable Specialist. | |
| POINTS TO REMEMBER | |
| Plant certified seed potatoes. | |
| One potato vine will yield from 2 to 4 | |
| pounds of potatoes. | |
| Potatoes are a cool season crop. | |
| Potatoes need a light, well-drained soil. | |
| Store potatoes in a cool, dark place. | |
| PLANTING CALENDAR | |
| North Coast (Monterey County-north): | |
| March through June | |
| South Coast (San Luis Obispo | |
| County-south): March through May, July | |
| through August | |
| Interior Valleys: December through March, | |
| July through August | |
| Imperial and Coachella Valleys: November | |
| through January | |
| Division of Agricultural Sciences LEAFLET | |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 2802 | |
| Page 1 | |
| The University of California Vegetable Research and Information Center | |
| VARIETIES | |
| White Rose: long white; early medium | |
| maturity (100 to 120 days after planting); | |
| does not store well; good for boiling and | |
| potato salad. | |
| Red la Soda: round red; early maturity (90 to | |
| 100 days after planting); does not store well; | |
| good for boiling and potato salad. | |
| Norgold Russet: blocky russet; early | |
| maturity (90 to 100 days); does not store | |
| well; good for baking and boiling. | |
| Kennebec: blocky white; early medium | |
| maturity (100 to 120 days); stores | |
| moderately well; good for frying and hash | |
| browns. | |
| Russet Burbank: long russet; late maturity | |
| (120 to 140 days); stores well; good for | |
| baking, frying, hash browns; doesn't grow | |
| well in hot areas. | |
| SOIL PREPARATION | |
| Potatoes need -a well-drained sandy-to-loam | |
| soil. They do not grow well in heavy soils. | |
| Cultivate the seedbed well, making sure that | |
| it is in a loose, friable condition before | |
| planting. Mulching the soil with an organic | |
| mulch before planting is a good idea. | |
| Fertilize at planting time following | |
| instructions given below. | |
| FERTILIZATION | |
| Before planting apply 3 pounds of fertilizer | |
| labeled 5-10-5 or 10-10-5, or equivalent, to | |
| 100 square feet of soil. (These numbers refer | |
| to the respective percentages of nitrogen, | |
| phosphorus, and potassium in the fertilizer. | |
| Law requires that these percentages be listed | |
| on all commercial fertilizer labels.) Fertilizer | |
| may be mixed into the soil or applied as a | |
| band. To apply as a band, dig a furrow | |
| alongside the planting row about 2'/2 inches | |
| deeper than you'll plant seed pieces; sprinkle | |
| the fertilizer evenly along this furrow and | |
| cover with at least 2 inches of soil before | |
| planting. | |
| PLANTING METHODS | |
| Potatoes are started from sections of tubers. | |
| Buy certified seed potatoes. (The California | |
| Department of Food and Agriculture | |
| annually publishes a list of certified seed | |
| growers. However, not all of them will | |
| supply small quantities. Contact local | |
| suppliers ahead of planting to insure that | |
| you will be able to purchase the necessary | |
| amount of certified seed.) Non-certified seed | |
| may have been treated with a sprout | |
| inhibitor and probably has potato virus | |
| disease, which will reduce yield. Cut seed | |
| potatoes into pieces weighing from 1'/z to 2 | |
| ounces, each having one or more eyes. Store | |
| cut pieces at room temperature and | |
| preferably in a humid place for 1 to 2 days | |
| before planting to allow the cut surface to | |
| form a callus. This decreases rotting. | |
| Prepare a planting furrow 3 inches deep, | |
| drop seed pieces into the furrows, and fill | |
| the furrows to ground level. The rows | |
| should be 36 to 39 inches apart and the seed | |
| pieces planted 6 to 10 inches apart, | |
| depending on the size of the potatoes you | |
| want to harvest. | |
| Leave the furrow this way for 4 to 6 weeks, | |
| and then add 3 more inches of soil so that | |
| the seed pieces will be buried 6 inches deep. | |
| IRRIGATION | |
| Potatoes are shallow-rooted and need | |
| frequent light irrigation, 1 to 2 times a week. | |
| Constant soil moisture is necessary. If soil | |
| dries after tubers have formed, a second | |
| growth will start when soil gets moist. This | |
| Page 2 | |
| The University of California Vegetable Research and Information Center | |
| will cause knobby potatoes and multiples. | |
| Alternate wet and dry conditions can also | |
| cause ""hollow heart,"" or cavities near the | |
| center of the potato. | |
| CULTIVATION | |
| Cultivate carefully to remove weeds, taking | |
| care not to injure roots and tubers near | |
| ground surface. | |
| PEST CONTROL | |
| The two insects most likely to cause | |
| problems are aphids and potato tubermoth. | |
| Standard garden procedures for killing | |
| aphids may be used. Potato tubermoth can | |
| be avoided by seeing that potato tubers are | |
| always covered with soil and that the soil | |
| does not crack. The only disease that can be | |
| chemically controlled is blight. Fungicide | |
| sprays or powders may be used. | |
| HARVESTING | |
| Small immature tubers can be ""robbed"" from | |
| growing plants if care is taken not to disturb | |
| the roots and remaining tubers on the plant. | |
| However, most of the crop should be | |
| harvested when vines die and/or the skin of | |
| the tubers is firm, not flaky. Remove vines | |
| before digging. | |
| Potatoes that mature in the fall where frost | |
| and/or heavy rains are not a threat can be | |
| left in the ground until needed. If tubers are | |
| left in the ground, take care not to expose | |
| them to light or soil cracks. | |
| After digging, potatoes should be held at | |
| room temperature for a week, then ideally | |
| stored at 40' to 50a F. They will keep for 6 | |
| to 15 weeks at 40"" to 50' F if properly cured | |
| (depending on the variety). Higher | |
| temperatures decrease their storageability. | |
| They will keep longest at 36a to 40' F, but | |
| may taste sweet and fry dark. | |
| Potatoes are a good source of vitamin C. When freshly cooked, one medium potato provides one-half the adult | |
| recommendation (RDA') for vitamin C. It also provides small but useful amounts of other vitamins and minerals | |
| such as thiamin, niacin and iron. By itself, the potato is relatively low in calories; but that doesn't include the | |
| caloric content of the gravy or sauce often served with it. One medium potato contains about 75 calories, only a | |
| little more than the caloric content of an apple. The potato is exceptionally low in sodium content, making it useful | |
| for sodium-restricted diets. It also is essentially fat-free and easy to digest. | |
| Recommended Daily Dietary Allowance, National Research Council, revised 1974. | |
| COOPERATIVE EXTENSION UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA | |
| This information is provided by Cooperative Extension, an educational agency of the University of California and the United States Department | |
| of Agriculture. Support for Cooperative Extension is supplied by federal, state, and county governments. Cooperative Extension provides the | |
| people of California with the latest scientific information in agriculture and family consumer sciences. It also sponsors the 4-H Youth Program. | |
| Cooperative Extension representatives, serving 56 counties in California, are known as form, home or youth advisors. Their offices usually are | |
| located in the county seat. They will be happy to provide you with information in their fields of work. | |
| The University of California's Cooperative Extension Programs are available to all, without regard to race, color, or national origin. | |
| Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of | |
| Agriculture. James B. Kendrick, Jr., Director, Cooperative Extension, University of California. | |
| Page 3 " | |
| "ORGANIC POTATO PRODUCTION ON | |
| CALIFORNIA’S CENTRAL COAST: | |
| A Guide for Beginning Specialty Crop Growers | |
| Introduction | |
| Potatoes can be a good addition to a small-scale, mixed | |
| specialty crop system. With access to the proper tools | |
| for mechanized weed management, hilling, and harvest, | |
| they are relatively easy to grow. Multiple varieties offer an array of | |
| shapes, sizes, and colors to make potatoes an excellent choice for | |
| direct sales, including Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), | |
| farmers’ markets, specialty markets, and restaurants. | |
| The Central Coast’s climate is ideal for potato production. Yields | |
| can reach an impressive 10 tons per acre. This guide describes the | |
| steps involved in growing potatoes organically, reviews equipment | |
| needs, and provides information on “new” and “creamer” potato | |
| growth habits and recommended varieties. | |
| Features of potato | |
| production | |
| • Can be harvested as “new,” “creamer,” | |
| or fully cured storage potatoes, all | |
| of which can be grown on the same | |
| production schedule | |
| • Easy to store when fully cured | |
| • Mechanization makes weed | |
| management and harvest extremely | |
| efficient | |
| • A good rotation crop where symphylan | |
| pressure is high, being extremely | |
| tolerant to symphylan feeding | |
| pressure; they have been shown to | |
| reduce symphylan populations in | |
| subsequent crops | |
| potatoes | |
| 2 | Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems | |
| potatoes | |
| PRODUCTION PRACTICES — SUMMARY | |
| Soil type and pH | |
| • Potatoes grow best in loose, well-drained, non-crusting, | |
| sandy loam or loam soils with high organic matter content | |
| and pH between 5.5 and 6.5. | |
| Site selection | |
| • Isolate successive potato plantings, and plant as far as | |
| possible from other susceptible crops such as tomatoes | |
| to minimize the risk and impact of late blight (Phytopthera | |
| infestans). | |
| Fertility requirements | |
| • Fall/winter cover crop (bell beans, triticale, vetch). | |
| • Compost, as needed (5 tons/acre). | |
| Soil temperature | |
| • Seed pieces can germinate when soil temperatures are cool | |
| (less than 55ºF). | |
| Bed spacing | |
| • Bed spacing of 48” allows for a balance of workability and | |
| yield potential. | |
| • 30” bed spacing is possible if using 4-gang Lilliston | |
| cultivators, disc hillers, or shovels. | |
| • 60” beds provide for ease of field operations, but may | |
| reduce yield potential. | |
| • Potatoes grow best planted in a single line per row to | |
| allow for “hilling” (see page 5) to ensure that potatoes are | |
| covered with soil. Potatoes exposed to sunlight turn green | |
| and become unmarketable. | |
| Plant spacing within row | |
| • 8–12” between plants in the row. Closer spacing will result in | |
| smaller tubers (see page 9, New and Creamer | |
| Potatoes). | |
| Planting size and depth | |
| • Use 1.5–3 ounce seed pieces with at least 2 “eyes.” | |
| • Place seed pieces 2–4” deep. | |
| Irrigation | |
| • Pre-irrigate beds with overhead sprinklers and cultivate for | |
| weed management. | |
| • Use drip irrigation after planting; overhead irrigation | |
| increases risks of fungal infection, Phytopthora infestans (late | |
| blight). | |
| Days to maturity | |
| • Most varieties suitable for the Central Coast region reach full | |
| maturity in 100 to 120 days. | |
| • Harvest “new” potatoes at the growth stage following | |
| bloom when the canopy is full, typically 8–9 weeks after | |
| planting, depending on variety and weather. | |
| • Harvest “creamers” 10–12 weeks after planting, depending | |
| on variety and weather. | |
| Crop rotation | |
| • Rotate ground out of solanums and strawberries for a | |
| minimum of 4 years to break disease cycles. | |
| Organic Potato Production on California’s Central Coast | 3 | |
| potatoes | |
| PRODUCTION SEQUENCE — OVERVIEW | |
| **Some growers use a flame weeder | |
| at this stage, ideally just before | |
| potato leaf emergence, but even just | |
| after emergence, if necessary. | |
| (crop day -25*) | |
| In spring, mow cover crop | |
| to facilitate breakdown. (crop day -25) Incorporate cover crop residue. | |
| (crop day -11) Form beds with rolling cultivator or listing shovels. | |
| (crop day -10) Pre-irrigate beds with overhead irrigation (1–1.5”). | |
| Wait for dry down and weed emergence. | |
| (crop day -3) Cut potato seed in preparation for planting. | |
| (crop day -1) Work bed surface lightly with cultivator | |
| to terminate weeds and re-form beds. | |
| (crop day 0) Create a trench down the center | |
| of the bed using a small furrowing shovel or an | |
| “Alabama” shovel. Plant potatoes, cover seed | |
| lightly with 3–4” of soil using a rolling cultivator | |
| (run slowly). | |
| (crop day 11) As soon as first weeds appear, | |
| cultivate furrow bottoms and bed sides with | |
| sweeps and knives. In the same pass, run | |
| chisels in furrow bottoms to break tractor tire | |
| compaction.** | |
| (crop day 11) Set up drip irrigation | |
| (crop days 30, 40) Hill plants with soil | |
| as potato stems elongate (usually twice | |
| prior to bloom). | |
| (crop day 30) Begin drip irrigation. | |
| Note: Drip irrigate to maintain even | |
| moisture until the tubers for main crop | |
| harvest are ~75% of desired size, then cut | |
| irrigation and let vines die. Potatoes will | |
| continue to size up. | |
| (crop days 55–95) Check tuber size after | |
| flowering. Harvest new potatoes at 8–9 weeks | |
| after planting; creamers at 10–12 weeks. | |
| (crop day 60) Spot weed large flowering weeds. | |
| (crop day 116) Run overhead irrigation (0.25–0.5”) prior to | |
| harvest of main crop to make harvest easier and avoid scuffing. | |
| (crop days 120, 140) Harvest main potato crop. | |
| (crop days 160) Pull drip lines. | |
| (crop day 180) Disc plants, | |
| prepare soil for fall cover crop. Drill cover crop | |
| seed prior to | |
| fall/winter rains. | |
| *Numbers in parentheses | |
| refer to crop day, with crop | |
| day 0 = planting day, based on | |
| a typical season at the CASFS/ | |
| UC Santa Cruz Farm. | |
| See Appendix (page 12) for | |
| more on crop days and related | |
| activities. | |
| (crop day -21) Begin chitting potato seed. | |
| 4 | Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems | |
| potatoes | |
| Production Practices — | |
| Additional Details | |
| Soil type | |
| Potatoes grow best on light textural soil classes: sands and | |
| silts with organic matter (O.M.) >3%. Potato tubers have a | |
| high respiration rate, and require ample oxygen in the soil. | |
| Lighter soils let in air that allow potatoes to breathe. Lighter | |
| soil textures also offer less physical resistance to tuber | |
| formation; thus the plant can put more caloric energy into | |
| forming large, cosmetically even tubers. Lighter, sandier soils | |
| also make harvest easier. | |
| Heavier soils higher in clay content tend to provide better | |
| fertility and water holding capacity, but can cause tuber | |
| deformation, and make washing challenging. Although | |
| you cannot change the texture of soil, you can enhance its | |
| structure by increasing its organic matter content by adding | |
| compost and incorporating cover crops (green manures). | |
| Fertility | |
| Potatoes yield well when planted following incorporation of | |
| a mixed legume/cereal cover crop, e.g., bell bean (30–35%), | |
| peas (20–30%), vetch (30%), and triticale (10–15%). When | |
| incorporated well, the cover crop residue leaves the soil loose | |
| and friable, and microbial decomposition releases nutrients to | |
| provide adequate fertility (available nutrients). | |
| If applying compost, use a rate of not more than 5 tons per | |
| acre (100 lb. N per acre) to avoid over-application of nitrogen | |
| (N). Excess nitrogen can: | |
| • Make plants more susceptible to late blight (Phytopthora | |
| infestans) | |
| • Delay tuber set and maturation | |
| • Increase water content in tubers, which leads to a shorter | |
| storage life and more post-harvest physiological disorders | |
| Bed spacing | |
| Plant potatoes in a single line system to facilitate hilling. | |
| Depending on equipment available and standard bed spacing | |
| used on your farm, beds can be spaced from 30” up to 60” | |
| center to center. Hilling potatoes is more challenging with | |
| narrower beds; 4-gang Lilliston cultivators, disc hillers, or | |
| shovels are potential options with this spacing. Wider bed | |
| spacing means loss of yield potential. Consider the trade-offs | |
| between ease of hilling operations, efficiencies of land use, | |
| and labor required to adjust equipment. Take into account the | |
| other crops you grow, and choose the bed spacing that works | |
| best for your farming system as a whole. | |
| Timing of planting | |
| Spring is the best time to plant potatoes on California’s | |
| Central Coast. Potato seed pieces can easily germinate in cool | |
| soils (less than 55ºF). Plant following incorporation and initial | |
| breakdown of cover crop residue, typically in late April or early | |
| May. The goal is for the crop to develop prior to the onset | |
| of foggy conditions that favor late blight infestations in late | |
| summer (August). Staggered plantings are not recommended | |
| in areas where fog may be a factor. Some growers successfully | |
| plant in late July, growing a fresh market crop for fall holidays. | |
| In inland valleys, potatoes are usually planted in February | |
| so that tuber maturation takes place prior to high summer | |
| temperatures that can delay tuber formation. | |
| Preparing seed potatoes for planting | |
| “Certified seed” sold for planting has been inspected and | |
| meets the tolerance for pest and disease disorder symptoms | |
| established by an agricultural certification program (e.g., | |
| White Rock Specialties seed is certified by the Colorado | |
| Board of Agriculture). This use of the word “certified seed” | |
| is complementary to, and distinct from the meaning of seed | |
| that is “certified organic.” The National Organic Program | |
| (NOP) requires that organic growers purchase organic seed, | |
| unless the variety needed (or an equivalent variety) is not | |
| commercially available in an appropriate form, quantity, or | |
| quality. | |
| To prepare seed for planting (also called “greening” or | |
| “chitting”), bring potatoes to room temperature (or warm up | |
| your cooler to 50–55ºF) two to three weeks before planting to | |
| initiate sprouting. Expose to bright shade, but do not let them | |
| dry out while sprouting. | |
| Seed potatoes that are large enough can be cut into smaller | |
| pieces to extend planting stock volume. Cut tubers into | |
| FIGURE 1. Preparing seed pieces for planting. Photo: Elizabeth Birnbaum | |
| Organic Potato Production on California’s Central Coast | 5 | |
| potatoes | |
| 1.5–3-ounce pieces (a little larger than a hen’s egg) with at | |
| least two “eyes” on each cut piece (Figure 1). Cut through the | |
| center of the potato and allow the cut to heal over for 3 days | |
| prior to planting. Seed cut immediately before planting may | |
| experience decay in the ground, especially if soil is too dry or | |
| too warm at planting. | |
| Planting technique | |
| Because tubers form adjacent to and above the seed piece, | |
| place seed as deep as possible. Deep planting leaves room to | |
| FIGURE 3. Plant potato seed into furrows created by furrowing or | |
| Alabama shovels. Photo: Martha Brown | |
| FIGURE 4. Potatoes developing in a “hill.” Illustration: Laura Vollset | |
| FIGURE 2. Alabama shovels with “drop tubes” for placing seed pieces. | |
| Photo: Martha Brown | |
| “hill” the plant as the stems elongate (see below). However, | |
| plant no deeper than the depth of your harvester to reduce | |
| risk of slicing potatoes during harvest. | |
| Create a depression down the middle of the planting bed—to | |
| the depth of the furrow if possible— using a small furrowing | |
| shovel or an “Alabama” shovel (Figure 2). Drop the seed | |
| pieces into this depression or trough (Figure 3) and cover | |
| with 3–4” of soil (enough to cover the seed pieces and keep | |
| them from drying out) by re-forming the bed using a rolling | |
| cultivator, reverse disc hillers, or shovels. | |
| Hilling potatoes | |
| Re-form the beds after planting deep, then again after the | |
| plants emerge, building the beds higher to keep potatoes | |
| covered with soil as the stems elongate (Figure 4). This | |
| re-forming of the bed, or “hilling,” is essential for potato | |
| production because it blocks sunlight from the tubers as they | |
| form. Any light contact causes “greening”; the presence | |
| of chlorophyll and potential for accumulation of toxins | |
| (glycoalkaloids), render any green tuber unmarketable. Hilling | |
| also facilitates weed management and boosts yields. | |
| Potatoes grow remarkably fast once they emerge (usually | |
| about 14 days after planting). Do the first mechanical hilling | |
| once plants reach a height of 8–10” (within 30–33 days after | |
| planting). Use a rolling cultivator during this time of initial | |
| growth to smother any weeds germinating in the bed, and to | |
| keep furrows clean of annual weeds. Work the furrows with | |
| shallow chisels to break tractor wheel compaction and deepen | |
| the furrows. Do the second hilling 5–7 days after the first | |
| (Figure 5). On small plots, hilling can be done by hand with a | |
| shovel. | |
| 6 | Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems | |
| potatoes | |
| IRRIGATION SEQUENCE | |
| • Pre-irrigate with a minimum of 1–1.5” using | |
| overhead irrigation (if available) to bring up weeds | |
| and provide adequate deep soil moisture to | |
| support the early growth stage of the potato seed | |
| pieces. Cultivate before planting. (See Tillage, Bed | |
| Formation, and Planting to Moisture in this Grower | |
| Guide series for additional details.) | |
| • Plant seed pieces into residual moisture. | |
| • Lay drip line at time of planting or once plants | |
| have emerged. | |
| • Initiate drip irrigation after plants have emerged | |
| and are well established (between 2 and 4 weeks | |
| after planting), and the first hilling has taken | |
| place. Depending on weather and soil conditions, | |
| pre-irrigation moisture deep in the soil may be | |
| adequate to support up to 3 or 4 weeks of growth. | |
| • Schedule irrigations based on regional | |
| evapotranspiration (Et) data (available at cimis. | |
| water.ca.gov): | |
| – When plants are at 25% canopy (percentage of | |
| the bed’s soil covered by crop foliage), irrigate | |
| at a rate roughly equal to 25% of the estimated | |
| daily Et. | |
| – Follow this percent canopy rule to determine | |
| irrigation rate; when plants are at 100% canopy, | |
| irrigation will match Et. | |
| – During the period of tuber enlargement (usually | |
| days 60–90), field capacity should not drop | |
| below 60–65%. Uneven irrigation in this phase | |
| leads to uneven tuber formation and jeopardizes | |
| marketability. | |
| – Water can be cut to “dry off” and cure crop | |
| once plants start to show signs of senescence | |
| (yellowing of leaves) and tubers have reached | |
| ~75% of marketable size. Wait another 10–14 | |
| days before harvest for skins to cure. | |
| – Apply .25–.5” of water prior to harvesting the | |
| main crop to make harvest easier, and to avoid | |
| scuffing spuds, which can compromise salability | |
| and storage life. | |
| Irrigation | |
| Drip irrigation is the best option for potatoes, allowing you to | |
| control irrigation rate and timing, and apply water directly to | |
| the growing plants. At planting, set the drip lines in the center | |
| of the bed on top of the seed pieces; cover it as you close the | |
| furrow and bury it further as you hill the potatoes (note that | |
| you can also lay drip tape after the plants have emerged). See | |
| the irrigation sequence at right. | |
| Potatoes can be irrigated overhead, but this method favors | |
| development of late blight due to prolonged periods of leaf | |
| wetting. If overhead sprinklers are used, irrigate mid-day | |
| following dry-down of foliage from morning dew, and shut | |
| down the sprinklers early enough for leaves to dry prior to | |
| sunset. | |
| FIGURE 5. Hilled potatoes at the UC Santa Cruz Farm. | |
| Photo: Elizabeth Birnbaum | |
| Organic Potato Production on California’s Central Coast | 7 | |
| potatoes | |
| GROWTH PHASES | |
| Phase 1: Vegetative establishment, 0–30 days | |
| Most vegetative growth occurs during this phase. | |
| Adequate pre-plant nitrogen (in the nitrite form) | |
| ensures a large, effective plant that can support tuber | |
| development through sugar and starch translocation. | |
| Phase 2: Stolen and tuber initiation, 30–60 days | |
| Flowering begins at approximately 40–50 days (Figure | |
| 6). Dig “new” potatoes during this phase (see sidebar, | |
| page 9). | |
| Phase 3: Tuber enlargement, 60–90 days | |
| It is critical to provide adequate irrigation during this | |
| phase. Dry down should be less pronounced than in | |
| phases 1 and 2; never let the plants get to less than | |
| 60–65% field capacity. Dig “creamer” potatoes during | |
| this phase (see sidebar, page 10). | |
| Phase 4: Tuber enlargement, skin set and curing, | |
| 90–120 days | |
| Tubers enlarge, increase in starch content and | |
| individual varietal characteristics. Skins set and | |
| thicken, allowing for long-term storage. FIGURE 6. Potatoes begin to flower at approximately 40–50 days post | |
| planting. Photo: Elizabeth Birnbaum | |
| 8 | Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems | |
| potatoes | |
| Harvest and harvesting equipment | |
| “New” potatoes (see next page) must be harvested by hand. | |
| Push a garden fork under the cluster of potatoes and gently | |
| lift the plant by the leaves as you push down on the fork | |
| handle to raise the tubers to the surface (Figures 7 and 8). | |
| New potatoes are extremely delicate; handle very gently to | |
| avoid damaging the skin. | |
| When harvesting mature tubers by hand, the process is the | |
| same. Take extra care not to “fork” through the potatoes, but | |
| get under the tubers. | |
| FIGURE 7. Harvest new potatoes using a garden fork. Photo: Elizabeth Birnbaum | |
| FIGURE 8. Handle new potatoes gently to avoid damaging the fragile skins. Photo: Elizabeth Birnbaum | |
| Use a dedicated potato harvester or an under-cutter | |
| pulled behind a tractor for mechanized harvest. For potato | |
| production areas much larger than one-quarter acre, it | |
| is best to harvest mature tubers with a dedicated potato | |
| harvester, such as a single-row PTO- operated digger with | |
| an undercutter bar and shaker cage. The harvester lifts the | |
| spuds and leaves them on the soil surface to pick up (Figures | |
| 9 and 10). Break the furrow tire compaction with chisels before | |
| harvest to ensure that the under-cutter or harvester can get | |
| below the lowest tuber and work effectively. | |
| Organic Potato Production on California’s Central Coast | 9 | |
| potatoes | |
| CREAMER POTATOES offer another niche market | |
| that can generate some early season income due to | |
| high demand and relatively low supply. | |
| Creamer potatoes are similar to new potatoes in that | |
| they are small (2–4” in diameter, 2–4 ounces). They | |
| may be dug early or at full maturation. The main | |
| distinction is that they have thicker skins and are thus | |
| easier to dig and pack than new potatoes, and rival | |
| storage potatoes in their shelf life. | |
| Although not as moist, light, and sweet as new | |
| potatoes, they do have an intense, earthy taste and | |
| texture that makes them more distinctive than full-size | |
| storage potatoes, and offer more nutritional value | |
| than new potatoes. | |
| Creamer potatoes show themselves off both on | |
| display and on the plate. They can be displayed for | |
| loose pack in small net bags by mixing varieties, | |
| shapes, sizes, and colors. | |
| As with new potatoes, choose early varieties with | |
| plants that mature at <90–100 days. In addition to | |
| those listed for new potatoes, preferred varieties | |
| include: | |
| ‘Austrian Crescent’ (fingerling) | |
| ‘Early Ohio’ | |
| ‘Viking Purple’ | |
| Fingerling varieties (2–3” long) can also be adapted | |
| for this format. | |
| Tips for Growing Creamer Potatoes | |
| • Use close in-row spacing when planting (5–6”) | |
| • Grow for 10–12 weeks | |
| • Kill vines (mechanically) | |
| • Dry off (no irrigation) 7–10 days before harvest to | |
| set skin | |
| • Hand dig, box, and refrigerate | |
| • Wash only when needed for packing and | |
| distribution | |
| NEW POTATOES are simply young, small, freshly-dug | |
| potatoes. They must be marketed quickly (within a few | |
| days of harvest) and will last only 7–10 days (refrigerated). | |
| The possibility of digging 100–200 pounds per day for | |
| 2–3 weeks offers early season income and a premium | |
| price. Also, if well done, new potatoes can create a loyal | |
| following of customers and improve your “brand.” | |
| In theory, any variety can be used for new potatoes, but | |
| those described as early season (maturing in <90–100 | |
| days) work best, as they tend to set ample tubers early, | |
| and size up evenly. | |
| Suggested varieties include– | |
| ‘Red Gold’ | |
| ‘Early Red Norland’ (distinct from ‘Dark Red Norland’, | |
| which is a high-yielding, mid-season variety) | |
| ‘Mountain Rose’ | |
| Planting seed of the above varieties are easy to source. | |
| They are all spectacularly early and high yielding, | |
| producing 2.5–3 pounds/plant at 60+ days from planting. | |
| The following also offer a reasonable ratio of pounds per | |
| plant to days in the ground (most are red varieties)– | |
| ‘Anoka’ (very ‘Cherry Red’ ‘Purple Viking’ | |
| early, difficult ‘Desiree’ ‘Red LaSoda’ | |
| to source) ‘Early Purple’ ‘Rose Gold’ | |
| ‘Caribe’ ‘Kerr’s Pink’ ‘Yukon Gold’ | |
| Tips for Growing New Potatoes | |
| • Use small, whole seed potatoes (1–2 ounces) | |
| • Plant seed 8–9” apart, using standard row spacing | |
| • Plant 2–4” deep in 6–8” deep trenches | |
| • Hill plants at 20–30 days from emergence | |
| • Dig when size of 6–10 tubers reaches 2–8 ounces, | |
| usually 60–75 days post planting | |
| • Dig when soil is dry; box and let sit 1–2 days, then wash | |
| and pack | |
| • Note that some nicked skins are inevitable with new | |
| potatoes. It identifies them as truly new and freshly dug. | |
| “NEW” POTATOES AND “CREAMERS” | |
| Both new potatoes and creamers offer good niche marketing possibilities, including CSA projects, farmers’ | |
| markets, roadside stands, and restaurants. | |
| 10 | Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems | |
| potatoes | |
| FIGURE 10. Shaker cage deposits harvested potatoes on the soil surface. | |
| Photo: Martha Brown | |
| FIGURE 9. Example of a PTO-driven harvester with “shaker cage.” Photo: Martha Brown | |
| Post-harvest handling | |
| Tubers going direct to market are usually washed immediately | |
| after harvest, especially if the soil is prone to sticking. Tubers | |
| harvested for storage should not be washed, as water can | |
| spread disease (especially fungal spores that cause late blight), | |
| and increase potential for higher incidence of infection while | |
| in storage. | |
| Crop rotation | |
| Because potatoes are host to many of the same diseases | |
| commonly found on other Solanaceae family crops (tomatoes, | |
| peppers, etc.), as well as strawberries, rotate ground out of | |
| solanums and strawberries for a minimum of 4 years. | |
| Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) is the primary disease | |
| of potatoes in the Central Coast region. Because the fungal | |
| spores that cause late blight move easily with water and | |
| wind, it is best to keep a significant buffer between blocks of | |
| potatoes and tomatoes since the blight will most often start on | |
| the foliage of potatoes (early season) and spread to tomatoes. | |
| Organic Potato Production on California’s Central Coast | 11 | |
| potatoes | |
| Organic Potato Production on the California’s Central Coast: A Guide for Beginning Specialty Crop | |
| Growers by Jim Leap, Darryl Wong, Orin Martin, and Kirstin Yogg-Comerchero, with contributions from | |
| Ann Baier and Doug O’Brien. Edited by and Martha Brown and Ann Baier. | |
| © 2017 Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS), University of California, Santa | |
| Cruz. This information was developed for beginning specialty crop growers and is based on practices | |
| used at the UCSC Farm. CASFS is a research, education, and public service program at the University | |
| of California, Santa Cruz. Learn more at casfs.ucsc.edu, or contact casfs@ucsc.edu, (831) 459-3240. | |
| Additional Grower Guides and related information are available online at casfs.ucsc.edu/about/ | |
| publications. This publication was supported by the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program at the U.S. | |
| Department of Agriculture (USDA) through Grant 14-SCBGP-CA-0006. Its contents are solely the | |
| responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA. | |
| Photos, p. 1: Left, Martha Brown; top right, Elizaeth Birnbaum, bottom right, CASFS; | |
| p. 2: Elizabeth Birnbaum. Icon illustrations, p. 3, Laura Vollset. | |
| ADDITIONAL RESOURCES | |
| 1156 High Street | |
| Santa Cruz, CA 95064 | |
| casfs@ucsc.edu | |
| casfs.ucsc.edu | |
| publications-and-presentations-ospudproject | |
| Pest management strategic plan for | |
| organic potato production in the west. | |
| Summary of workshops held on February | |
| 16, 2006, Buhl, Idaho and January 9, 2008, | |
| Portland, Oregon. Jennifer Miller, Ronda | |
| Hirnyck, Lisa Downey-Blecker. Issue Date, | |
| December 19, 2008. | |
| www.ipmcenters.org/pmsp/pdf/CA-CO-IDOR-WAOrganicPotatoPMSP.pdf | |
| Potatoes: Organic production and | |
| marketing, by Rex Dufour, Tammy | |
| Hinman, and Jeff Schahczenski. | |
| NCAT IP337, 2009. | |
| attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/ | |
| summary.php?pub=96 | |
| Selecting, cutting and handling | |
| potato seed, Bulletin #2412, 2015, | |
| by Steven B. Johnson, Ph.D., Extension | |
| crops specialist, University of Maine | |
| Cooperative Extension | |
| extension.umaine.edu/ | |
| publications/2412e/ | |
| Introduction to weed management | |
| in a small scale organic production | |
| system (video). Produced by the Center | |
| for Agroecology & Sustainable Food | |
| Systems. | |
| www.youtube.com/user/casfsvideo | |
| Knock weeds out at critical times, by | |
| Mark Schonbeck. eOrganic, 2010. | |
| articles.extension.org/pages/18882/ | |
| knock-weeds-out-at-critical-times | |
| Ospud participatory organic potato | |
| project, Oregon State University. | |
| horticulture.oregonstate.edu/content/ | |
| Pests and Diseases | |
| Before you select varieties and plant your potato crop, look up | |
| common pests and diseases that affect the crop in your area. | |
| Learn about pest and disease life cycles, preventive practices, | |
| and possible treatments using resources such as the UC IPM | |
| website (ucipm.edu), your county Cooperative Extension | |
| offices, ATTRA’s Biorationals: Ecological Pest Management | |
| Database (www.ncat.org/attra-pub/biorationals), neighboring | |
| farmers, and other knowledgeable professionals. | |
| The main potato arthropod pests in the Central Coast region | |
| are: | |
| • Tuber moth. Phthorimaea operculella: larvae cause | |
| economic damage when they tunnel into potato tubers, | |
| both in the field and in storage. | |
| • Aphids and viruses—Green peach aphid, Myzus persicae | |
| and Potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae: aphids act as | |
| vectors that transmit Potato Leaf Roll Virus (PLRV), cucumber | |
| mosaic and alfalfa mosaic (calico) viruses. | |
| • Cucumber beetle: Western spotted cucumber beetle, | |
| Diabrotica undecimpunctata undecimpunctata, and Western | |
| striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma trivittatum: damage | |
| foliage. | |
| • Tuber Flea Beetles, Epitrix tuberis: beetle larvae feed on | |
| tubers. | |
| • Wireworms. Common local species of wireworms include: | |
| Pacific coast wireworm, Limonius canus. Sugarbeet | |
| wireworm, Limonius californicus. Dryland wireworm, | |
| Ctenicera pruinina: wireworms are click beetle larvae that | |
| live in the soil. They cause economic damage by eating | |
| potato seed pieces or roots of young plants, or burrowing | |
| into developing tubers. | |
| The main potato diseases in the Central Coast region are: | |
| • Late Blight, Phytophthora infestans: late blight develops | |
| rapidly, and can defoliate a crop within a few weeks. | |
| • Verticillium Wilt, Verticillium dahliae: this wilt appears as | |
| yellowing (chlorosis) and death (necrosis) of lower leaves; it | |
| interferes with the plant water transport (vascular) system, so | |
| the impact becomes visible quickly in hot weather. | |
| • Scab, Streptomyces spp.: causes potato tubers to be | |
| unmarketable. | |
| See Organic Pest and Disease Management in Selected Crops | |
| on California’s Central Coast in this Grower Guide series for | |
| additional information on the pests and diseases listed here, | |
| and suggestions for their control in potatoes. | |
| 12 | Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems | |
| potatoes | |
| APPENDIX: PRODUCTION SCHEDULE, ECONOMIC DATA | |
| $42,625.00 | |
| -$3,470.48 | |
| -$3,595.19 | |
| $35,559.33 | |
| Per Acre Totals | |
| Income: | |
| Labor + Machine Cost ($): | |
| Expenses: | |
| Production Profit: | |
| Item Cost per unit Cost per acre Notes | |
| Seed - Non-Fingerling $.45/# $816.75 .125#/row'; 1 row/bed; 14520 row'/ac; 1815#/ac; | |
| Seed - Fingerling $1.30/# $2,359.50 .125#/row'; 1 row/bed; 14520 row'/ac; 1815#/ac; | |
| Drip Tape $120/7500' $232.32 1 row/bed; 14520 row'/ac; $.016/row' | |
| Bags $.19043/bag $186.62 25#/bag; 24500#/ac | |
| Total Expenses (per acre): $3,595.19 | |
| Input Costs | |
| POTATO BLOCK | |
| Crop day Sub Crop/Variety # beds (1 bed = .02ac) Action work rate (hr/ac) fixed rate (hrs) Total labor cost @ $16.10/hr Total machine cost @ $21.70/hr Unit Price ($/#) Harvest Value ($) | |
| -25 20 Flail Mow:heavy 2.5 0.2 $26.04 | |
| -25 20 Spade 4.8 0.2 $46.00 | |
| -21 20 Begin Chitting 0.5 $8.05 | |
| -11 20 Mark Lines 2 0.2 $21.70 | |
| -11 20 List 1.25 0.2 $15.19 | |
| -11 20 Overhead Irr:set up 3.75 $24.15 | |
| -10 20 Overhead Irr:run 0.5 $8.05 | |
| -3 20 Cut Potatoes 24.2 $155.85 | |
| -3 20 Overhead Irr:break down 3.75 $24.15 | |
| -1 20 Light cultivation 1.25 0.2 $15.19 | |
| 0 20 Plant:driver 4.84 0.4 $50.69 | |
| 0 20 Plant:planters 9.68 $62.34 | |
| 11 20 Cultivate 2 0.2 $21.70 | |
| 11 20 Drip:set up 10 0.25 $68.43 | |
| 30 20 Hill 1.25 0.2 | |
| 30 20 Drip:run x 2/wk; @ 9 wks 2.7 $43.47 | |
| 40 20 Hill 1.25 0.2 | |
| 60 20 Hand Weed:spot weed 2 $12.88 | |
| 80 Yukon Gold, Red Gold 10 Flail Mow:light 1.25 0.2 $9.77 | |
| 94 Desiree, Austrian Crescent 10 Flail Mow:light - | |
| 115 20 Overhead Irr:set up 3.75 | |
| 116 20 Overhead Irr:run 0.5 | |
| 100 Red Gold 5 Harvest 83 1 $149.73 $39.06 $2.0 $3,600 | |
| 120 Yukon Gold 5 Harvest 83 1 $149.73 $39.06 $1.5 $4,350 | |
| 120 Desiree 5 Harvest 83 1 $149.73 $39.06 $1.5 $3,300 | |
| 140 Austrian Crescent 5 Harvest 83 1 $149.73 $39.06 $2.0 $5,800 | |
| 160 20 Drip:break down 2 $12.88 | |
| 180 10 Disc:x1 0.5 0.2 $6.51 | |
| - 10 Drill/Cover Crop 1.6 0.2 $11.28 | |
| Sub-total: $1,019.16 $380.31 | |
| $1,399.48 Per Block (.4 Acres): 9,800 | |
| $3,470.48 Per Acre: 24,500 | |
| Harvest Amt. (#) | |
| Per Acre: | |
| Labor + Machine Cost ($) | |
| Per Block (.4 Acres): | |
| 1,800 | |
| 2,900 | |
| 2,200 | |
| 2,900 | |
| $17,050 | |
| $42,625 | |
| Yield | |
| Harvest (#/acre) | |
| Red Gold 18,000 | |
| Yukon Gold 29,000 | |
| Desire 22,000 | |
| Austrian Crescent 29,000 | |
| Harvest (row'/hr) 180 | |
| Harvest Rate (hr/ac) 80 | |
| Price ($/#) 1.5-2 | |
| Harvest Assumptions | |
| Complete irrigation schedule available online at casfs.ucsc.edu/about/publications/growerguides. Data reflect direct field production costs and do not include other | |
| potential overhead (e.g., water, electricity, land rent)." | |
| "MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment & Promotion Project | |
| for Local and Up-Scaling (SHEP PLUS) | |
| Prepared by SHEP PLUS | |
| “Changing Farmers’ Mindset from “Grow and Sell” to ”Grow to Sell”” | |
| Japan International Cooperation Agency Agriculture and Food Authority | |
| Horticultural Crops Directorate | |
| Presented to the County & AFA (HCD) Staff in charge of the | |
| SHEP PLUS Model Farmer Groups during the FT-FaDDE | |
| TOMATO PRODUCTION | |
| Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries | |
| State Department for Crop Development & Agricultural Research | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| Tomato (Nyanya) | |
| 1-1 | |
| • Tomato is a member of the | |
| Solanaceae family which | |
| includes crops such as Potato, | |
| Sweet Pepper, Chili and Egg | |
| Plant | |
| • One of the most produced and | |
| consumed vegetables in Kenya | |
| • Important cash crop for | |
| smallholder farmers | |
| • Mainly grown in open field but | |
| green house production has also | |
| grown in popularity | |
| • Rich in Vitamin A, C and | |
| Lycopene | |
| • Eaten fresh, added to salads, | |
| cooked as a vegetable or | |
| processed into tomato paste, | |
| jam, sauce, puree and juice | |
| 1. Introduction: | |
| 1.1 Background | |
| 2 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 1.2 Common Varieties | |
| 1-2 | |
| Determinate Varieties | |
| “Rio Grande”: | |
| • Fresh market and processing variety | |
| • Plant is slightly bushy and can be | |
| staked or left unstaked | |
| • Tolerant to verticillium and fusarium wilt | |
| • Maturity Period: 75 – 85 days after | |
| transplanting | |
| • Yield: 18,000kg per acre | |
| “Rio Grande” | |
| 3 | |
| Photo: Flora fields | |
| http://www.florafields.com/index.php?route=product/product | |
| &product_id=189 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 1.2 Common Varieties | |
| 1-3 | |
| “Cal J” | |
| • Open pollinated determinate variety | |
| • Tolerant to verticilium & fusarium wilts | |
| • The plant produces red blocky shaped | |
| fruits | |
| • The fruits store and transport well | |
| • Maturity Period: 75 - 85 days after | |
| transplanting | |
| “Cal J” • Yield: 11,000 – 13,000kg per acre | |
| 4 | |
| Photo: Farm Fresh Seeds | |
| http://www.farmfreshseeds.com/heirloom-tomato-seeds-cal-j.html | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 1.2 Common Varieties Cont’ | |
| 1-4 | |
| “Kilele F1” | |
| • Medium-early maturing, determinate | |
| type | |
| • Suitable for drier or humid areas | |
| • Disease tolerance: Tomato Yellow | |
| Leaf Curl Virus, Tomato Mosaic | |
| Virus, Verticillium, Fusarium Wilt & | |
| Nematodes | |
| • Fruits: Firm and elongated and has | |
| shelf life of 21 days | |
| • Maturity Period: 75 days after | |
| transplanting | |
| • Yield: 30,000 – 35,000kg per acre | |
| “Kilele F1” | |
| 5 | |
| Photo: Syngenta kENYA | |
| https://www.syngenta.co.ke/tomatoes | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 1.2 Common Varieties Cont’ | |
| 1-5 | |
| “Assila F1” | |
| • Determinate early maturing (75 days) | |
| variety | |
| • Tolerant to Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl | |
| Virus (TYLCV) & nematodes | |
| • It produces fruits with attractive red | |
| colour with oval shape & heavy sweet | |
| fruits | |
| • Yield: 23,000kg per acre | |
| • Good keeping quality & transportability | |
| “Assila F1” | |
| 6 | |
| Photo: seminis | |
| https://seminis.co.za/product/assila/686 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 1.2 Common Varieties Cont’ | |
| 1-6 | |
| “Eden F1” | |
| • Determinate and vigorous growing variety | |
| • Good tolerance to Alternaria Canker, | |
| Verticillium Wilt, Fusarium Wilt, Nematodes | |
| and Bacterial Speck | |
| • Deep red blocky fruits have long shelf life | |
| • Maturity Period: 75 days after transplanting | |
| • Yield: 40,000-50,000kg per acre (9 – 10 kg per | |
| plant) | |
| “Rambo F1” | |
| • Determinate, vigorous plant with uniformly set | |
| and firm fruits | |
| • Tolerance: Bacterial wilt, Bacterial spot, | |
| Fusarium wilt, Verticilium wilt and Nematodes | |
| • Maturity 75 days after transplanting | |
| • Yield: 30,000kg per acre | |
| •Goodshelflife&transportquality“Eden F1” | |
| 7 | |
| Photo: seminis | |
| https://seminis.co.za/product/eden/687 | |
| Photo: Kenya Highlands Seed Co. | |
| https://royalseed.biz/tomatoes | |
| “Eden F1” | |
| “Rambo F1” | |
| 1-7 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 1.2 Common Varieties Cont’ | |
| 1-8 | |
| Indeterminate Varieties | |
| “Anna F1”: | |
| • Hybrid and indeterminate fresh market variety that | |
| produces blocky oval red fruits that have a long shelf | |
| life, tolerance to Fusarium, Verticillium Wilt, | |
| Alternaria Stem Canker and Nematodes | |
| • Ideal greenhouse Tomato | |
| • Maturity Period: 75 days after transplanting | |
| • Yield: 64,000kg per acre (18 kg per plant for 8 | |
| months) | |
| “Anna F1” | |
| 8 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 1.2 Common Varieties Cont’ | |
| 1-9 | |
| Indeterminate Varieties | |
| “Tylka F1” | |
| • Maturity Period: 75 days | |
| • Plant: Intermediate, very vigorous, good | |
| cover and high yielding | |
| • Fruit: Very firm elongated, non-green | |
| back, smooth and firm oval fruits with an | |
| average frit weight of 120-130g | |
| • Production/ Yield: 70,000-78,000kg per | |
| acre under good agricultural practices | |
| • Shelf life: Over 21 days | |
| • Disease tolerance: Tomato Yellow Leaf | |
| Curl Virus (TYLCV), Tomato Mosaic | |
| Virus (ToMV 0-2), Verticillium & Fusarium | |
| Wilt (race 1&2) | |
| “Tylka F1” | |
| 9 | |
| Photo: | |
| https://www.syngenta.co.ke/product/se | |
| ed/tomato/tylka-f1 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 1.2 Common Varieties Cont’ | |
| 1-10 | |
| Indeterminate Varieties | |
| “Corazon F1” | |
| • Extended shelf life | |
| • Good resistant to cracking | |
| • Suitable for green house/ net house | |
| production | |
| • High yielding, staking growing system | |
| • Oval shape, weight:130-190g | |
| • Resistant to: Verticillium Wilt, Fusarium | |
| (race 1,2), Bacterial speck, Tobacco | |
| mosaic virus (ToMV), Nematode, Tomato | |
| spotted wilt virus, Tomato Yellow Leaf | |
| Curl Virus (TYLCV) | |
| “Corazon F1” | |
| 10 | |
| Photo: Amiran THE COMPLETE | |
| FARMERS CATALOGUE | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 1.3 Choice of Varieties | |
| 1-11 | |
| Selection of variety need to be based on: | |
| • Growth Habit: determinate (bush), | |
| indeterminate (climbing) and semideterminate | |
| • Disease Tolerance/ Resistance: | |
| indicated by initials after variety name e.g. | |
| “F” for fusarium wilt, “N” for | |
| nematodes | |
| • Fruit Type (shape, size & color): Market | |
| requirement will determine fruit type. | |
| – Processing-intense red color & more | |
| solids | |
| – Fresh market- shape, color & size | |
| vary | |
| • Hybrid or Open Pollinated Varieties | |
| (OPV): Hybrid seeds give higher yields | |
| but are more expensive | |
| Tomato crop in the field | |
| 11 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 1.4 Optimal Ecological | |
| Requirements | |
| Altitude 0 – 2,000 Meters Above | |
| Sea Level | |
| Rainfall Over 600 mm of rainfall | |
| annually | |
| Growing | |
| Temperature | |
| 20 – 25 0C (day) | |
| 15 – 17 0C (night) | |
| Soils •Well drained sandy, loam, | |
| and clay loam soils | |
| •pH range 6.0 – 7.5 12 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 13 | |
| 2. G20 technologies | |
| Make sure to support farmers carry out G20 | |
| techniques for any crop | |
| 1. Market survey | |
| 2. Crop planting | |
| calendar | |
| 3. Soil testing | |
| 4. Composting | |
| 5. Use of quality | |
| planting materials | |
| 6. Recommended land | |
| preparation practices | |
| 7. Incorporating crop | |
| residues | |
| 8. Basal application of | |
| compost/ manure | |
| 9. Recommended | |
| practices of seedling | |
| preparation/ | |
| seedlings from | |
| registered nursery | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 14 | |
| 2. G20 technologies | |
| 10.Recommended | |
| spacing | |
| 11.Recommended | |
| fertilizer application | |
| rate | |
| 12.Supplementing | |
| water | |
| 13.Timely weeding | |
| 14.Top-dressing | |
| 15.IPM practices | |
| 16.Safe and effective | |
| use of pesticides | |
| 17.Use of harvesting | |
| indices | |
| 18.Appropriate post | |
| harvest handling | |
| containers | |
| 19.Value addition | |
| techniques | |
| 20.Keeping farm | |
| records | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.1 Raising Seedlings | |
| Tomato nursery | |
| 3-4 | |
| 50 cm | |
| 1 m 1 m | |
| 10 – 20 cm | |
| 15 | |
| Photos: SHEP PLUS | |
| 3-5 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.1 Raising Seedlings | |
| (GHCP&PHHT20: Q9) | |
| • Tomato can be established through nursery or directly seeded | |
| • Normally, it is raised in nursery before transplanting | |
| • The seed rate is about 40 – 75 g/acre | |
| • Seed trays can also be used to raise seedlings | |
| Nursery Site Selection: | |
| • The nursery should be sited in a plot that has not been planted | |
| with a member of Solanaceae family for the last 3 years | |
| • Choose the site with good drainage | |
| Nursery Establishment: | |
| • Prepare a seedbed of 1 m width and of a convenient length | |
| • Make drills on the seedbed at a spacing of 10 – 20 cm apart | |
| • Thinly sow the seeds in the drills and cover lightly with soil | |
| 16 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.1 Raising Seedlings Cont’ | |
| Management of Nursery: | |
| • Water the nursery regularly | |
| • Harden the seedlings 1 – 2 weeks before transplanting by | |
| reducing the frequency of watering and gradually exposing | |
| the seedlings to direct sunlight | |
| • Insects such as whiteflies can transmit viruses to young | |
| tomato plants hence should be controlled using pesticides | |
| e.g. Amitraz (Mitac 20EC®), Buprofezin (Applaud 40%SC®), | |
| Azadirachtin (Nimbecidine®), Imidacloprid (Confidor 70 | |
| WG®) | |
| • The insects can also be blocked from reaching the | |
| seedlings by use of an insect proof net (agricultural type) | |
| 17 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.2 Transplanting | |
| Recently transplanted Tomato seedlings | |
| 3-5 | |
| 18 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.2 Transplanting | |
| 3.2.1 Appropriate Time | |
| • Seedlings are transplanted 30 – 45 days after seed sowing | |
| • It is recommended that transplanting should be done either | |
| early in the morning or late in the evening | |
| 3.2.2 Recommended Spacing (GHCP&PHHT20: Q10) | |
| • Spacing: range from 75 – 100 cm (between rows) by 40 – | |
| 60 cm (between seedlings) depending on the variety | |
| • Plant Population per Acre: range from 6,666 to 13,333 | |
| • Appropriate spacing produces short, stocky plants with | |
| good root system and reduces disease incidences | |
| 19 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.2 Transplanting Cont’ | |
| 3.2.3 Fertilizer Application Rates (GHCP&PHHT20: Q11) | |
| • Make holes and add 2 – 3 handfuls of manure per planting | |
| hole (8 tons/acre) | |
| • The type and quantity of fertilizers will depend on soil | |
| analysis results. | |
| [General recommendations] | |
| • Apply 2 bottle tops (10 g) of Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) | |
| per planting hole (80 kg/acre) | |
| • Apply Muriate of Potash (MOP) to enhance availability of | |
| potassium | |
| 20 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.3 Water Requirement | |
| (GHCP&PHHT20: Q12) | |
| • Tomato is sensitive to water deficit: | |
| – Immediately after transplanting | |
| – During flowering and fruit | |
| development | |
| • Plants should be provided with adequate | |
| water | |
| • Tomato plants are sensitive to water | |
| logging and flooded fields should be | |
| drained within 1 – 3 days | |
| Irrigation Methods: | |
| • Furrow and drip irrigation are the most | |
| effective methods | |
| • Furrow irrigation minimizes spread of | |
| fungal diseases, such as “Early Blight” | |
| • Drip irrigation on the other hand is | |
| efficient on water utilization | |
| • Overhead irrigation encourages | |
| spread of diseases such as “Early Blight” | |
| 3-6 | |
| Drip Irrigation in a Tomato | |
| field | |
| 21 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.4 Top-dressing | |
| (GHCP&PHHT20: Q14) | |
| • Tomato crop should be fertilized with organic and inorganic | |
| fertilizers to produce high yields | |
| • Top-dressing fertilizer such as CAN should be applied in 2 | |
| splits at 40 kg & 80 kg/acre at 4 and 8 weeks after | |
| transplanting which is a general recommendation | |
| • Soil analysis results provides specific information for each | |
| farm | |
| • Application method: circular band around the stem | |
| • Inadequate top-dressing can result in physiological | |
| disorders such as: | |
| – Hollow cavities and poor taste in fruits due to | |
| potassium deficiency | |
| – Blossom-end rot due to an imbalance between nitrogen, | |
| calcium and soil moisture 22 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| • Indeterminate varieties | |
| need staking/training to | |
| facilitate pruning, | |
| harvesting and other | |
| cultural practices | |
| • Determinate varieties don't | |
| require staking but may be | |
| staked in wet season to | |
| prevent fruit contact with | |
| the soil. On the other hand, | |
| mulch may be used | |
| instead of staking | |
| • Staking materials: wooden | |
| stakes, bamboo or any | |
| sturdy material | |
| • Strings, plastic strips or | |
| other material can be used | |
| to train the plant to the | |
| stake | |
| 3.5 Crop Management | |
| 3.5.1 Staking & Training | |
| 3-9 | |
| Well staked Tomato field | |
| 23 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| • This practice is necessary for | |
| the indeterminate varieties | |
| • It involves removal of side | |
| shoots, extra flowers, fruits | |
| and diseased leaves | |
| • Leads to early maturity of | |
| fruits and encourages fruits to | |
| increase in size and | |
| uniformity | |
| • Sterilize pruning blades by use | |
| of chlorine bleach and water at | |
| a ratio of 1:1. Use of | |
| unsterilized blades and | |
| smoking can lead to spread of | |
| diseases e.g. TMV, Bacterial | |
| Wilt | |
| 3.5.2 Pruning | |
| 3-10 | |
| Training of tomato | |
| plants in the field. A | |
| side shoot has been | |
| pinched | |
| 24 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.5.3 Major Pests | |
| The following are the major pests of Tomato in Kenya: | |
| A.African Bollworm | |
| B.Red Spider Mites | |
| C.Tobacco Whitefly | |
| D.Root-knot Nematode | |
| E. Thrips | |
| F. Tuta absoluta | |
| 25 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.5.3.A: African Bollworm | |
| 3-12 | |
| A fruit damaged by “African Bollworm” 26 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.5.3.A: African Bollworm | |
| Identification: | |
| • Adult moth is dull yellow to brown | |
| • The female moth lays tiny round & brownish eggs near or on | |
| flowers or small fruits | |
| • Larvae have alternating light and dark colored stripes on either | |
| side of the body | |
| • The pupa is shiny brown | |
| Damage: | |
| • Caterpillars feed on flowers and green fruits causing flower | |
| abortion and sunken necrotic spots, respectively | |
| • Feeding holes made by the caterpillar serve as entry point for | |
| bacteria and fungi which may lead to rotting of fruits | |
| 27 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.5.3.A: African Bollworm | |
| Control: | |
| • Tilling & ploughing of old tomato field exposes pupa to | |
| desiccation and natural enemies | |
| • Planting of trap crops (e.g. Cucumber, Maize and African | |
| Marigold) which attract the pest before it attacks tomatoes (Need | |
| to synchronize planting of both maize and tomatoes so that they | |
| flower at same time) | |
| • Use of selective pesticides or microbial control agents like: | |
| – Helicoverpa armigera SNPV virus (HelitecSC®) | |
| – Indoxacarb (Avaunt 150EC®) | |
| – Etofenprox 30%(TREBON 30 EC®) | |
| 28 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.B: Red Spider Mites | |
| 3-13 | |
| Underside of Tomato leaf infested with | |
| “Red Spider Mites” 29 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.B: Red Spider Mites | |
| Identification: | |
| • Adult red spider mites are oval in shape and appear reddish | |
| and have eight (8) legs | |
| • Eggs are very tiny, spherical and whitish; and are laid singly | |
| on underside of leaves | |
| • Red spider mites spin silk threads/ web which protect/ | |
| anchor the pest and their eggs to the plant | |
| Damage: | |
| • Leaves when infected show white to yellow speckling, later | |
| turn pale or bronzed | |
| • High population causes serious drying and dropping of | |
| leaves (defoliation) which leads to smaller and lighter fruits | |
| 30 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.B: Red Spider Mites | |
| Control (Scouting & GAP): | |
| • Use of pesticides (miticides) such as: | |
| – Spiromesifen (Oberon SC 240®) | |
| – Hexythiazox (Arsur 100 EC®) | |
| – Abamectin (Avirmec 1.8EC®, Almectin 1.8%EC®, | |
| Agrimec 18EC®) | |
| – Amitraz (Mitac 20EC®) | |
| – Amblyseius californicus (Amblytech®-predatory mite) | |
| • Spider mites rapidly develop resistance to pesticides, | |
| especially when they are used continuously for several | |
| seasons | |
| • To avoid development of resistance, farmers need to: | |
| – Use miticides with different chemical | |
| composition/modes of action | |
| – Avoid routine spraying | |
| – Use the recommended dosage | |
| 31 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.C: Tobacco Whitefly | |
| “Whiteflies” on a leaf | |
| 3-14 | |
| 32 | |
| Photo: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.org | |
| (CC BY 3.0 US) | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.C: Tobacco Whitefly | |
| Identification: | |
| • Adult whitefly resembles small white moth – like insect | |
| which cluster on the underside of upper leaves from which | |
| they suck sap | |
| • Eggs are laid in arc or circle on the underside of young | |
| leaves | |
| • When eggs hatch they produce greenish white nymphs | |
| which resemble scales | |
| Damage: | |
| • Suck plant sap and remove nutrients which cause | |
| yellowing of infested leaves | |
| • The larvae secrete honey dew which supports growth of | |
| black sooty mould | |
| • Transmit viral diseases, especially Tomato Yellow Leaf | |
| Curl Virus (TYLCV) | |
| 33 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.C: Tobacco Whitefly | |
| Control: | |
| • Keep tomato fields weed free | |
| • Use of yellow sticky traps to monitor their population | |
| levels | |
| • Covering tomato seedling nurseries with nylon nets or | |
| insect proof nets to protect seedlings from whitefly | |
| infestations | |
| • Use of insecticides in the morning & ring spray | |
| – Amitraz (Mitac 20EC®) | |
| – Buprofezin (Applaud 40%SC®) | |
| – Azadirachtin (Nimbecidine®) | |
| – Imidacloprid (Confidor 70 WG®) | |
| – Lambda Cyhalothrin (Karate 2.5WG®) | |
| – Lambda- cyhalothrin + Thiamethoxam (LEXUS 247 | |
| SC®) | |
| 34 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.D: Root-knot Nematode | |
| 3-15 | |
| Root galls: characteristic of | |
| “Root-knot Nematode” infestation 35 | |
| Photo: David L. Clement, University of Maryland, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US) | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.D: Root-knot Nematode | |
| Description: | |
| • Nematodes are soil inhabitants easily spread by infested | |
| seedlings, soil washed down the slopes or by farm | |
| implements | |
| • Root–knot nematodes are most serious on light sandy soils | |
| under furrow irrigation | |
| Damages: | |
| • Plants are stunted, yellow and tend to wilt without yellowing in | |
| hot weather | |
| • The roots of affected plants are severely distorted, swollen and | |
| bear galls or knots | |
| • Heavy infestation results in severe loss in yield | |
| 36 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.D: Root-knot Nematode | |
| Control: | |
| • Burn the top soil using waste plant material after seedbed | |
| preparation | |
| • Solarize seedbeds if possible by covering soil with clear | |
| polythene sheet for 2 – 3 months | |
| • Manuring of soil to reduce nematode population | |
| • Fields should be ploughed deep and harrowed followed by dry | |
| fallow | |
| • Use trap/ repellent crops such as Marigold | |
| • Use of nematicides such as | |
| – Azadirachtin (Nimbecidine®, Achook EC®) | |
| – Paecilomyces lilacinus (Bio-nematon 1.15% WP®, Mytech | |
| WP®) | |
| – Metham sodium (Metham sodium®) | |
| – Abamectin (Adventure 5G®) | |
| – Ethoprophos (MOCAP GR 10®) 37 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.E: Thrips | |
| 3-16a | |
| Thrips damage on Tomato | |
| Photo: © A. M. Varela, icipe (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) | |
| http://www.infonet-biovision.org/PlantHealth/Crops/Tomato#simple-table-of-contents-4 | |
| 38 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.E: Thrips | |
| Identification: | |
| • Adult thrips are small (0.5 – | |
| 2.0 mm), slender and winged | |
| • Wings are long, narrow and | |
| fringed with long hairs | |
| • Nymphs are white or yellow | |
| • Both adults and nymphs feed | |
| on lower leaf surface, buds, | |
| flowers and fruits | |
| • It transmits the Tomato | |
| Spotted Wilt Virus/ | |
| Tospovirus (“Kijeshi”) | |
| 39 | |
| “Kijeshi” symptoms | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| 3-16b | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.E: Thrips | |
| Damages: | |
| • Attack on leaves causes speckling & small necrotic | |
| patches | |
| • Heavy infection causes premature wilting, delay in leaf | |
| development & distortion of young shoots | |
| • Attack on buds and flowers leads to abortion | |
| Control: | |
| • Ploughing and harrowing before transplanting to kill pupae | |
| in the soil | |
| • Use of insecticides such as | |
| – Lambda-Cyhalothrin (Karate 2.5 WG®) | |
| – Abamectin + Acetamiprid (Amazing Top 100WDG®) | |
| 40 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3-17a | |
| Tuta absoluta adult (left) | |
| and larva (right) | |
| Photo: By Marja van der Straten, NVWA Plant Protection Service, Bugwood.org - http://www.ipmimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5432149, CC | |
| BY 3.0 us, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22440495 | |
| 3.10.3.F: Tuta absoluta | |
| 41 | |
| 3-17b | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 42 | |
| Photo: By N3v3rl4nd - Own work, Public Domain, | |
| https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6598872 | |
| By Goldlocki - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, | |
| https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=228832 | |
| 3.10.3.F: Tuta absoluta | |
| Tomato Leafminer (left) | |
| Tuta Absoluta (right) | |
| 3-17c 3-17d | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.F: Tuta absoluta | |
| Identification: | |
| • The moth is gray-brown, same size and posture as diamond back | |
| moth (DBM) and has long antenna & lays up to 260 eggs | |
| • Newly hatched caterpillars are small (0.5 mm) and yellowish | |
| • Mature caterpillars (9 mm: fully grown) are yellow-green, have pinkish | |
| color on the back and a black band behind the head | |
| • Pupae is light brown and size is 6 mm | |
| • The larva (caterpillar) is the damaging stage | |
| • Distribution is through seedlings, containers, fruits, soil & Green | |
| houses | |
| Damages: | |
| • The caterpillar burrows (mines) in the middle of the leaf tissue | |
| • Unlike other leafminers, it feeds indiscriminately and from a distance, it | |
| seems like the leaves are “burning” | |
| • Most distinctive symptoms are the blotch-shaped mines in the leaves | |
| • It bores n fruits, leaving symptomatic tiny holes | |
| • It also burrows on stems causing breakages | |
| • A serious pest and can cause 100% loss if not controlled in time | |
| 43 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.3.F: Tuta absoluta | |
| Control: | |
| • Early control is important before the pest pressure builds up | |
| • Carry out cultural practices like field hygiene, crop rotation | |
| • Carry out regular scouting/monitoring of pest population | |
| • Use of pheromone traps to attract male insects for both | |
| monitoring/surveillance and pest control e.g. mating disruption, mass | |
| trapping ‘lure & kill’ method, such as Tutrak, Tutalure (1m above the | |
| ground, 4-6 traps/ acre) | |
| • Use of insecticides like | |
| - Chlorantraniliprole (Coragen®) | |
| - Indoxacarb (Avaunt 150EC®, Merit 150SC®) | |
| - Spirotetramat + Flubendiamide (Tihan OD®) | |
| - Thiocyclam 50% w/w; Thiocyclam-hydrogenoxalate (Evisect S®) | |
| - Imidacloprid (Grizly 175/30 SC®) | |
| - Flubendiamide (Belt 480SC®) | |
| Note: The above pest control tactics should be combined in an IPM | |
| strategy 44 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4 Major Diseases & Physiological | |
| Disorders | |
| • The following are the major diseases and physiological | |
| disorders of Tomato in Kenya: | |
| a. Damping-off | |
| b. Late Blight | |
| c. Early Blight | |
| d. Bacterial Wilt | |
| e. Tomato Mosaic | |
| f. Blossom-end Rot | |
| g. Fusarium Wilt | |
| 45 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.a: Damping-off | |
| 3-18 | |
| General Description: | |
| • This disease is soil borne | |
| Symptoms: | |
| • Decay of germinating seed | |
| • Girdling of stem of young seedling | |
| at ground level | |
| Control: | |
| • Use of certified seed | |
| • Avoid locating the seedbed on | |
| infected fields | |
| • Avoid excessive fertilizer | |
| application and watering to young | |
| seedlings while still at nursery bed | |
| • Apply chemicals such as: | |
| – Metalaxyl + Mancozeb (Amidil | |
| 68WG® | |
| “Damping-off” symptoms on | |
| seedlings | |
| 46 | |
| Photo: Infonet Biovision (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) | |
| http://www.infonet-biovision.org/PlantHealth/Pests/Damping-diseases | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.b: Late Blight | |
| “Late Blight” on foliage and fruits | |
| 3-19 3-20 | |
| Photo: Gerald Holmes, California Polytechnic State University at San | |
| Luis Obispo, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US) | |
| Photo: Edward Sikora, Auburn University, | |
| Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US) | |
| 47 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.b: Late Blight | |
| General Descriptions: | |
| • This is a fungal disease which affects foliage and fruits | |
| • The development of the disease is favoured by cool and wet conditions | |
| Symptoms: | |
| • Irregular greenish-black water soaked blotches/patches on leaves | |
| • The spots on the leaves later turn brown and the attacked leaves wither | |
| but remain attached to the stem giving a frost-damaged appearance | |
| • Water soaked brown streaks on stem | |
| • Grey water soaked spots on fruits – upper half of the fruit with foul smell | |
| Control: | |
| • Crop rotation | |
| • Removal of all volunteer crops that are more susceptible to this disease | |
| • Pruning and staking in order to improve air circulation and reduce | |
| humidity | |
| • Use of fungicides, such as: | |
| – Metalaxyl + Mancozeb (Ridomil Gold MZ68®) | |
| – Propineb + Cymoxanil (Milraz WP76®) | |
| – Mancozeb (Dithane M45®) | |
| – Dimethomorph + Mancozeb (Acrobat MZ®) | |
| 48 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.c: Early Blight | |
| “Early Blight” on Foliage | |
| 3-21 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| 49 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.c: Early Blight | |
| General Descriptions: | |
| •This is a fungal disease which affects foliage and fruits | |
| •The fungus is seed borne | |
| •It is well adapted to semi-arid areas; warm wet weather | |
| •The disease is favoured by warm rainy weather | |
| Symptoms: | |
| •Premature loss of lower leaves is the main symptom | |
| •On leaves, brown circular spots with dark concentric rings | |
| •Leaves turn yellow and dry when only a few spots appear | |
| •On fruits, large sunken areas with dark concentric rings appearing | |
| velvety | |
| 50 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.c: Early Blight | |
| Control: | |
| •Use of certified seeds | |
| •Appropriate spacing | |
| •Avoid overhead irrigation, water in the morning and keep plants | |
| healthy/ stress-free | |
| •Use of fungicides, such as | |
| – Chlorothalonil (Odeon® 82.5WDG) | |
| – Manconzeb (Oshothane®) | |
| – Propineb (Antracol WP70®) | |
| – Mancozeb + Cymoxanil (Agromax®) | |
| – Propineb + Iprovalicarb (Melody Duo®) | |
| 51 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.d: Bacterial Wilt | |
| Symptom of “Bacterial Wilt” infection | |
| 3-23 | |
| Photo: Don Ferrin, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US) | |
| 52 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.d: Bacterial Wilt | |
| General Descriptions: | |
| • This is a bacterial disease which is soil-borne | |
| • It is easily spread by run off water and infected soil | |
| Symptoms: | |
| • Rapid wilting and death of entire plant without yellowing or | |
| spotting of leaves | |
| • When the stem of a wilted plant is cut across, the pith has a | |
| darkened water – soaked appearance | |
| • When stem of wilted plant is squeezed, a greyish slimy ooze is | |
| produced | |
| • To distinguish this wilt from others, when a thin slice is taken | |
| from the brown stem tissue and placed inside a glass of water, a | |
| milky ooze is produced from the cut surface | |
| 53 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.d: Bacterial Wilt | |
| Control: | |
| • Practice crop rotation with crops such as cereals | |
| • Remove wilted plants, with the soil around roots, from the field | |
| and destroy | |
| • Solarize planting beds | |
| • Spot treatment with Sodium Hypochlorite at 10 % dilution (Jik) | |
| or with lime/ ash | |
| • Sterilize pruning tools | |
| • Use of Metam sodium (METHAM SODIUM 51 Liquid soluble®), | |
| Bronopol (ENRICH BM Wettable Powder®) | |
| 54 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.e: Tomato Mosaic Virus | |
| Symptoms of “Tomato Mosaic Virus” | |
| infection on foliage and fruit | |
| 3-24 3-25 | |
| Photo: University of Georgia Plant Pathology , University of | |
| Georgia, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US) | |
| 55 | |
| Photo: © A. A. Seif and A. M. Varela, icipe | |
| http://www.infonetbiovision.org/PlantHealth/Crops/Tomato#simpl | |
| e-table-of-contents-4 (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.e: Tomato Mosaic Virus | |
| General Descriptions: | |
| • This is a viral disease which is easily transmitted by | |
| infected seed and plant debris in the soil | |
| • Mechanically transmitted through transplanting seedlings | |
| and pruning tools | |
| Symptoms: | |
| • Mottling of leaves with raised dark green areas | |
| • The shape of young leaves is distorted | |
| • Internal browning of fruits, especially when fruits are | |
| affected at mature green stage | |
| Control: | |
| • Use certified disease- free seeds | |
| • Remove crop debris and roots from the field | |
| • Do not smoke or touch cigarettes as the virus is | |
| transmitted from tobacco leaves even if it is processed | |
| 56 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.f: Blossom-end Rot | |
| 3-26 | |
| General Descriptions: | |
| • This is a physiological condition | |
| caused by calcium-nitrogen | |
| imbalance in the soil, especially | |
| when moisture level in the soil is low | |
| Symptoms: | |
| • A rot at the blossom-end of the fruit | |
| • The surface becomes dark brown | |
| and sunken | |
| Control: | |
| • Maintain adequate soil moisture, | |
| especially at fruit development | |
| stages | |
| • Soil liming in calcium deficient soils, | |
| reduce N and mulch the field | |
| • Top-dress with CN, Mavuno | |
| Planting and ensure adequate soil | |
| moisture | |
| • Spray the crop with calcium | |
| chloride | |
| • Foliar application of EASY-GRO | |
| CALCIUM® | |
| Tomato fruits affected by | |
| “Blossom-end Rot” | |
| 57 | |
| Photo: M.E. Bartolo, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US) | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.g: Fusarium Wilt | |
| Symptoms of Fusarium Wilt | |
| 3-27 | |
| Photo: © Scot Nelson (Public Domain) | |
| 58 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.g: Fusarium Wilt | |
| General Descriptions: | |
| • The fungus is both seed- and soil-borne. | |
| • It causes most damage on light, sandy soils. | |
| • It is most active at temperatures between 25 and 32o | |
| C. | |
| • The fungus can survive in the soil indefinitely even when no | |
| tomatoes are grown. | |
| • It can also survive in fibrous roots of weeds (e.g. Amaranthus, | |
| Digitaria and Malva species). | |
| • Acidic soils (pH 5.0 to 5.6) and excessive nitrogen fertilisation | |
| promote disease development. | |
| Symptoms: | |
| • The lower leaves of the plant usually turn yellow and die. | |
| • Leaflets on one side may be affected while those on the other | |
| side are asymptomatic. | |
| • Diseased leaves readily break away from the stem. When | |
| affected stems just above ground level and petioles are cut | |
| diagonally, a reddish-brown discolouration of the water | |
| conducting tissues will be observed. 59 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 3.10.4.g: Fusarium Wilt | |
| Control: | |
| • Use resistant tomato varieties (e.g. ""Fortune Maker"", ""Rio | |
| Grande"", ""Tengeru 97"", ""Roma VFN“, Eden F1, Rambo F1, Anna | |
| F1). | |
| • Use certified disease-free seeds. | |
| • Do not locate seedbeds on land where Fusarium wilt is known to | |
| have occurred. | |
| • Where soil is acidic, raise the pH by applying lime or farmyard | |
| manure. | |
| • Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilisation and control root-knot | |
| nematodes. | |
| 60 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 4. Harvest | |
| Harvesting of Tomatoes | |
| 4-1 | |
| 61 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 4. Harvest | |
| 4.1 Harvesting Indices (GHCP&PHHT20: Q17) | |
| • Maturity period range between 3 – 4 months after transplanting | |
| depending on: | |
| – The variety | |
| – Environmental conditions | |
| • Tomato can be harvested at different stages depending on the | |
| market requirement and distance to the market | |
| • There are four (4) main harvesting stages: | |
| – Mature-Green Stage: where the fruit is green but internal gel | |
| is well developed | |
| – Breaker/Turning Stage: up to 30% of fruit surface has definite | |
| color break from green to yellow | |
| – Pink/Light Red Stage: 30 – 90% fruit surface has pink/red | |
| color | |
| – Red/Ripe Stage: over 90% fruit surface has changed to red | |
| color | |
| 62 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 4. Harvest | |
| • Fruits should be harvested early in the morning when it is cool | |
| since the fruit temperature is low | |
| • Harvested fruits should be kept in a cool, shaded and ventilated | |
| area in order to minimize heat gain | |
| • When necessary, wipe fruits to remove dirt | |
| • The yields vary from 12,000 – 40,000kg per acre depending on | |
| the variety and crop husbandry | |
| 63 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 5. Post-Harvest Handling | |
| 5-1 | |
| Graded tomatoes packed in crates 64 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 5.1 Containers & Packaging Materials (GHCP&PHHT20: Q18) | |
| • Pack tomatoes in clean well ventilated containers to transport. Normally | |
| packed in wooden and plastic crates | |
| 5.2 Value Addition Techniques: Cleaning, Sorting, Grading, & | |
| Processing (GHCP&PHHT20: Q19) | |
| Sorting: | |
| • Sorting is done to remove damaged or diseased fruits. | |
| Grading: | |
| • Tomatoes are graded depending on the uniformity of ripening and fruit | |
| size | |
| • There are three (3) main tomato grades: | |
| – Grade 1: big size fruits of uniform color and shape | |
| – Grade 2: medium size fruits of uniform color and shape | |
| – Grade 3: small size fruits with slight variation in color and shape | |
| 5. Post-Harvest Handling | |
| 65 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| 5.2 Value Addition | |
| Techniques: Cleaning, | |
| Sorting, Grading, & | |
| Processing Cont’ | |
| (GHCP&PHHT20: Q19) | |
| Processing: | |
| • Processing tomatoes | |
| into high value products | |
| such as jam, sauce, and | |
| pickles enables farmers | |
| to earn more income | |
| 5. Post-Harvest Handling Cont’ | |
| 66 | |
| Photo: SHEP PLUS | |
| 5-2 | |
| Tomatoes in crates ready to be | |
| transported to the market | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| Reference | |
| • The proposed agrochemicals are in accordance with “Products Registered for Use on | |
| Crops Version 1_2018”. The registered agrochemicals are subject to change. Please | |
| refer to the latest registered agrochemicals by Pest Control Product Board. | |
| • Infonet Biovision (accessed on 7 Dec 2016) : | |
| http://www.infonet-biovision.org/PlantHealth/Pests/African-bollworm | |
| http://www.infonet-biovision.org/PlantHealth/Crops/Tomato# | |
| • Eden F1 Leaflet (Monsantoafrica) | |
| http://www.monsantoafrica.com/_pdfs/tomato_eden_flier_en.pdf | |
| • Plantwise Factsheets for Farmers “Fusarium wilt of tomato” | |
| https://www.plantwise.org/KnowledgeBank/factsheetforfarmers/20157800181 | |
| MOALF/ SHEP PLUS | |
| Contact: SHEP PLUS Office (4th Floor, N.H.I.F. | |
| Building, Upper Hill, Nairobi) | |
| Tel. No: 0737-293867/0712-504095 | |
| E-mail: info.shepunit@gmail.com | |
| THANK YOU | |
| ASANTE SANA | |
| DOMO ARIGATO | |
| GOZAIMASU | |
| SMALLHOLDER HORTICULTURE EMPOWERMENT & PROMOTION PROJECT FOR LOCAL AND UP-SCALING(SHEP PLUS) © 2016 | |
| 68" | |
| "" | |
| "Tomatoes | |
| VEGETABLE CROPS PRODUCTION GUIDE | |
| FOR THE ATLANTIC PROVINCES | |
| Prepared by the ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON VEGETABLE CROPS | |
| Published by authority of the ATLANTIC PROVINCES AGRICULTURE | |
| SERVICES CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE | |
| Introduction | |
| Tomatoes belong to the Solanaceae (the nightshade family) along with potatoes, peppers and | |
| eggplants. Lycopersicon esculentum is a perennial plant in the tropics but in northern climates it | |
| is grown as an annual. Botanically this vegetable is a fruit (a berry). Flowers are generally borne | |
| in clusters of 4 to 8 but small fruited types may have 30 to 50 flowers per cluster. The flowers are | |
| mainly self pollinated by the wind. The fruit has 2 to 18 locules (chambers or sections). | |
| The tomato is a native of the Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador area of the Andes Mountains. Its | |
| antiquity is uncertain in regard to cultivation but it was being cultivated when America was | |
| discovered by Europeans. It was not until 1835 that the tomato was considered suitable as a food | |
| crop in the northeastern United States. | |
| Tomatoes respond well to high temperatures. The minimum temperature for seed germination is | |
| 10 C with a maximum temperature of 35 C and an optimum range of 17 to 20 C. Most field | |
| transplants should not be set out until the danger of frost is past. An optimum growth rate is | |
| obtained at 22 C with reductions occurring above 30 C and below 12 C. Fruit setting is inhibited | |
| above 30 C and below 16 C. Rough fruit (cat faced) results from growing temperatures below 16 | |
| C. Root growth does not occur below 16 C. Tomatoes require adequate, even moisture, | |
| particularly at flowering and during fruit set. | |
| Tomatoes grow best in well drained soils that are well supplied with organic matter. Sandy soils | |
| are suited for early production, loam and clay loam soils are suited for later production. Shelter | |
| from wind is important especially for early production. This crop also benefits from the use of | |
| plastics such as ground mulches, row covers, and tunnel houses. | |
| Tunnel house tomato harvest begins about mid-July and field harvest about August 1st. | |
| Production continues as long as economically viable, up to late October. Marketable yields of | |
| ripe tomatoes vary dramatically with the weather. This range is 10,000 to 30,000 kg per hectare. | |
| Tomatoes for green chow may yield as much as 40,000 kg per hectare. | |
| There is a large market for red tomatoes in the Atlantic area within our growing season, | |
| especially on the wholesale market. There is still price competition from other areas of North | |
| America, and in good growing seasons there are local market ""gluts''. There is also interest in | |
| extending our season with the use of tunnel houses for July and August production. There is a | |
| limited market for fresh green tomatoes and a limited processing market. ""Sun dried"" tomatoes | |
| are being processed on a small scale. The warmest areas of the Atlantic provinces can grow red | |
| processing tomatoes. | |
| Crop Establishment | |
| Seeding/Planting - Since tomatoes require a relatively long growing season, they should be | |
| started in a greenhouse or hotbed. Approximately 75 to 150 grams of seed are required to | |
| produce enough plants for one hectare. Sow seeds eight weeks before plants are to be set in the | |
| field or tunnel. A temperature of 27 C for 1 to 2 weeks is required for good seed emergence. | |
| Plants for early crops can be pricked off (when the first true leaves appear) into 5 to 10 cm pots | |
| and plants for late production can be pricked off into a module transplant tray, peat block, paper | |
| pots or peat pots 4 to 5 weeks before transplanting. Plants should be grown firm and stocky by | |
| good light, moderate temperatures and appropriate fertilization. Plants should be developed to the | |
| budding stage by the time of transplanting. | |
| Tomato plants can also be raised by sowing raw seed directly into peat pots, module trays (72, | |
| 128 or 200 cell trays), or peat blocks. Under such a planting system a superior plant can be raised | |
| in a shorter time. This system is less labor intensive and reduces transplant shock. | |
| Tomato plants should be hardened for about one week before transplanting to the field. This can | |
| be accomplished by reducing the soil moisture supply and reducing the air temperature to 13 to | |
| 16 C. This will improve the survival ability of the plants to adverse weather conditions when | |
| field set. | |
| Tomatoes are normally field set at 11,000 to 18,000 plants per hectare depending on the type of | |
| tomato and its field spacing: | |
| 1.Determinate (small-vined) cultivars - plants 45 to 60 cm apart, rows 1 to 1.5 m apart. | |
| 2.Indeterminate (large-vined) cultivars - plants 50 to 90 cm apart, rows 1.5 to 2 m apart. | |
| 3.Staked Tomatoes - plants 45 cm apart, rows 1 to 1.5 m apart. | |
| Tomatoes for processing will have specific requirements. | |
| Nutrient Content: An excellent source of Vitamin C. They are also a source of many minerals | |
| including potassium, calcium and folate. One medium raw tomato provides 35 kilocalories. | |
| Crop Management | |
| Transplanting - set in the field after the danger of frost is past. Set out only relatively young, | |
| firm and blossom free plants. Severe hardening reduces yields. To obtain good yields and fruit | |
| size, the plants should become established in the field before the first fruits are set. This is | |
| important with early determinate cultivars. Use a starter fertilizer solution. | |
| Mulching - black plastic mulch can be used for weed control and higher yields of marketable | |
| fruit. Clear plastic mulch is the most effective for early growth and yields. However, weeds must | |
| be controlled with the use of herbicides. | |
| Apply mulches when soil moisture is high and well before planting so the soil can heat up. | |
| Hot caps, row covers or tunnels - these are used by growers to foster early growth and | |
| production. Ventilation is critical on warm sunny days. Do not allow temperatures around plants | |
| to exceed 35 C. Grow cultivars suited to this method of culture. Air blasting is necessary for | |
| pollinization of early fruit clusters (flowers must be vibrated). | |
| Staking Tomatoes - advantages in staking, or otherwise training tomato plants off the ground | |
| include a frequent increase in the percentage of marketable fruit, easier harvesting, and reduced | |
| injury to both plants and fruit in harvesting. It is doubtful that staked yields will differ from | |
| unstaked plant yields or that fruits on staked plants are firmer. Staking procedures (many systems | |
| are possible) that require little pruning seem best because pruning is costly, and removing laterals | |
| means removing potential flower clusters, so both early and total yields per plant are often | |
| reduced. The practices of staking and pruning most are likely to be profitable when a long harvest | |
| season is possible and fairly uniform production over the season is desired. (Only staking | |
| greenhouse cultivars should be used in tunnel houses and a limited number of trusses should be | |
| allowed to set depending on the intended market and season). | |
| Irrigation - the soil moisture should be kept at a reasonable level to reduce the incidence of | |
| cracking and blossom end rot from wide fluctuations in soil moisture. A fixed irrigation system | |
| may be used for frost control at planting time or late in the fall. Trickle irrigation may be used in | |
| the field or in tunnel houses with or without soil mulches. | |
| Nutrition | |
| ALL ADDITIONS OF LIME AND FERTILIZER OR MANURES SHOULD BE BASED ON | |
| RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A SOIL TEST. | |
| Manures - Often they are used in tomato production but one has to be careful of excessive | |
| nitrogen since delayed maturity and excessive vegetative growth may result. | |
| Lime - Lime should be applied to maintain the soil pH in the range 6.5 to 6.8. A high pH will | |
| usually ensure a high calcium level which is necessary for this crop. | |
| Nitrogen - Nitrogen is best applied at the time of planting and broadcast at an appropriate level, | |
| since an excess will delay maturity of ripe tomatoes. Soil organic matter and rotations have to be | |
| carefully considered for N contribution. Foliar sprays of calcium nitrate or urea may be used to | |
| apply some additional nitrogen. Where plastic mulches are used the nitrogen application should | |
| be low since the nitrogen does not leach. Approximately 50 kg per hectare or less of nitrogen | |
| may be enough for fresh market vigorous cultivars planted into plastic mulch. Maturity may be | |
| delayed two to three weeks or more by an excessive application of nitrogen. Total yields of green | |
| plus ripe fruit are usually larger but early ripe yields are drastically reduced. For green chow | |
| tomatoes heavier rates of nitrogen should be used. Trickle irrigation can be used for fertilization. | |
| For processing tomatoes the nitrogen rate will vary greatly depending on the variety, soil type, | |
| crop rotation, organic matter and soil management. | |
| Phosphorus - It is most effectively used when banded at the time of transplanting especially | |
| when small quantities of fertilizer are being applied. Band at least 50 kg of phosphorus per | |
| hectare. Use a transplant solution if possible especially on low phosphorus soils | |
| Potash - Broadcast potash requirements before planting and incorporate it into the soil along | |
| with the nitrogen. Banded potash can hurt yields at 60 kg per hectare. | |
| Magnesium - On sandy soils low in organic matter and in magnesium content, foliar applications | |
| of epsom salts should be considered. | |
| Calcium - On sandy soils low in calcium apply foliar sprays of calcium nitrate to prevent | |
| blossom end rot (adjust nitrogen accordingly). | |
| Micronutrients Boron - Tomatoes have a high boron requirement. Apply a boronated fertilizer | |
| and apply at least one foliar spray of soluble boron. | |
| Application Method - Nitrogen and potash should be broadcast prior to planting and | |
| incorporated into the soil. Banded nitrogen and potash can be detrimental to early and total | |
| yields. Phosphorus would be best banded and starter solutions should always be used. More | |
| fertilizer may be needed on staked cultivars. | |
| Pests and Pest Control | |
| Weeds | |
| Control perennial weeds prior to planting. Many growers use black plastic mulch for weed | |
| control, especially when the crop is grown under plastic row tunnels. Most herbicides | |
| recommended for use on tomatoes will not provide complete control of annual weeds and | |
| supplemental cultivation is usually necessary. Often contact herbicides are used to burn weeds | |
| from between the rows of plastic mulch. (Use shields to prevent drift onto the crop). | |
| Diseases | |
| Damping Off (fungi) | |
| Characteristics: Seed may decay, fail to emerge or once emerged develop water soaked | |
| discolored areas on the stem which withers and causes the plant to fall over. Disease incidence | |
| and severity is increased by cold temperatures, over watering, high humidity and over crowding. | |
| Control: Hot water treat seed and apply a fungicide seed protectant. Plant seeds at the | |
| recommended rate into sterilized seeding mix and flats. Supply adequate moisture but do not | |
| overwater and maintain night temperatures above 16 C. Drench immediately after seeding with a | |
| fungicide and if damping off occurs continue to apply fungicides at weekly intervals. | |
| Sclerotinia (white mold) | |
| Characteristics: This disease affects the stems of tomato plants especially those being grown on | |
| the ground. Fields selected for production should be as free as possible from this disease as it can | |
| survive from many years in the soil by means of a hard Sclerotia (resting fungal nuggets). | |
| Control: Rotate with corn or other grass species. Do not rotate with other vegetable crops, | |
| soybeans, field beans or canola. Do not allow weeds to grow out of control. When using over | |
| head irrigation do not over apply. Plastic mulches on the ground will help in combination with | |
| trickle irrigation to prevent disease development. | |
| Septoria Leaf Spot (fungus) | |
| Characteristics: Causes numerous small grayish circular leaf spots with dark borders. Survives | |
| in crop residue and on seed. Wet weather favours disease development. | |
| Control: Hot water treat seed. Apply protective fungicide sprays on a regular basis. Plow down | |
| crop residue immediately following harvest. | |
| Early Blight (fungus) | |
| Characteristics: Leaf spots are dark brown to black with concentric rings or zones within the | |
| spot. On fruit, large, dark, sunken areas develop particularly at the calyx end or on growth cracks. | |
| Control: Apply fungicide sprays if required. Healthy plants which are not stressed can tolerate | |
| some leaf spotting. | |
| Late Blight (fungus) | |
| Characteristics: Irregular greenish black water soaked areas appear on older leaves. Infected fruit | |
| remains firm but becomes rough with greasy greenish-brown patches. This disease is more | |
| common under cool moist conditions and is the same fungus which causes late blight of potatoes. | |
| A new strain of blight is now well established in this region and is extremely aggressive on | |
| tomatoes. | |
| Control: Apply fungicide sprays. Do not plant near potato fields. Control cull potatoes from the | |
| previous season. See the Atlantic Provinces Potato Guide for more detail. | |
| Anthracnose (fungus) | |
| Characteristics: Common rot of ripe fruit causing circular sunken spots which develop dark | |
| centres. Infection by other secondary organisms may cause complete rotting of fruit. Fruit | |
| becomes more susceptible as it ripens. | |
| Control: Apply fungicide sprays. Follow a 3 year rotation. | |
| Botrytis Rot (fungus) | |
| Characteristics: Gray mold rot of foliage, stem and fruit occurs. Pale green silvery ring marks | |
| with a brownish puncture in the center, known as ghost spot, occurs on the green fruit. The same | |
| rings are generally yellow on ripe fruit. This disease is associated with wet, humid weather. This | |
| is a serious disease of tomatoes every year and is a major cause of fruit rot. | |
| Control: Use fungicides for control in tunnel house or field. | |
| Bacterial Speck and Spot (bacterium) | |
| Characteristics: These two bacterial diseases are spread by seed and transplants and can | |
| overwinter from the previous year's diseased crop. Most spread takes place during transplant | |
| production and is increased by high humidity. Symptoms include black spots on the leaves with a | |
| yellow border and small dark spots on the fruit. | |
| Control: Hot water treat the seed and apply a fungicide seed protectant. Use sterilized soil in the | |
| greenhouse and disinfect flats. If these diseases appear in the greenhouse or field, apply | |
| appropriate fungicide plus copper sprays. Premixing the spray for 90 minutes or longer | |
| (overnight) increases efficacy. If tomatoes are staked use a disinfectant on used stakes. Follow at | |
| least a two year rotation. | |
| Bacterial Canker (bacterium) | |
| Characteristics: This bacterial disease is seed borne and can overwinter for one year in infected | |
| plant debris. Leaves wilt, die and brown cankers develop on the stem. White spots develop on the | |
| fruit with dark corky centers. | |
| Control: Hot water treat the seed and apply a fungicide seed protectant. Use sterilized seeding | |
| mix and disinfect flats and tools. Do not plant into fields which have been infested for at least | |
| two years. | |
| Virus Diseases | |
| Tomato Mosaic: Leaves and occasionally green fruit are mottled with light and dark green | |
| patches. Fruit may ripen unevenly and have internal brown streaks. This highly infectious virus | |
| can be spread simply by touching infected plants. | |
| Cucumber Mosaic: Infected plants are stunted with distorted (shoestring) leaves. Most disease | |
| spread is by aphids feeding first on diseased plants and then on healthy. | |
| Double Virus Streak: This disease is caused by infection of the plant by both tomato mosaic and | |
| PVX virus. Infected plants have mottled leaves, brown streaks on the stems and petioles and | |
| brown greasy blotches on the fruit. | |
| Control: Keep young plants virus-free by sanitation measures and aphid control. Avoid | |
| unnecessary handling of plants. Infections of older, well developed plants do not affect yield | |
| appreciably. | |
| Grow seedlings away from mature tomato plants. Eradicate weed hosts in or near the greenhouse. | |
| Do not keep ornamentals in the same greenhouse with tomato seedlings. Do not smoke or chew | |
| tobacco when handling plants. Wash hands with soap (trisodium phosphate, a detergent, is best) | |
| and water before handling tomato plants. Do not harden transplants by leaving them in headlands | |
| or other weedy places. Do not use cultivators in an infected crop and then in a healthy one. | |
| Non-Parasitic Disorders | |
| Blossom-end Rot | |
| A physiological disorder. Lack of adequate soil moisture and insufficient calcium uptake from | |
| the soil to the fruits during dry weather have been shown to cause this disorder. Excessive | |
| magnesium, potassium, sodium, or ammonium salts, or a deficiency of soluble calcium salts, all | |
| tend to decrease calcium uptake. | |
| Control: Timely irrigation will reduce or prevent this disorder. If drought occurs, and irrigation is | |
| not possible, cultivation should be very shallow to reduce water loss. Hoeing or cultivating | |
| should be done no closer than 30 cm from the plants to avoid root pruning. Maintain a high | |
| organic matter content in the soil and a high soil pH. Spray applications of calcium nitrate or a | |
| preplant application of gypsum will help control this disorder. | |
| Blotchy Ripening | |
| Characteristics: Blotchy Ripening is a disorder which involves irregular fruit ripening. Slow | |
| growth due to plant stress seems to be the cause. | |
| Control: Eliminate heat or moisture stress wherever possible. | |
| Yellow Shoulder | |
| Characteristics: Climatic conditions prevent the red pigment from developing in the wall tissue | |
| near the stem. The shoulders of the tomato then became deep yellow in color. Cultivars with | |
| green shoulders are more susceptible and high temperatures during the growing season aggravate | |
| this problem. Fruits exposed to direct sunlight appear to be the most susceptible. | |
| Control: Avoid susceptible cultivars and protect crops from high temperatures where possible. | |
| Insects | |
| Cutworm | |
| Characteristics: Sometimes a serious problem especially near grassy margins of fields. | |
| Occasionally it can be a widespread problem. | |
| Control: Control couch grass and then perennial weeds in the year prior to planting. Apply | |
| chemical sprays as necessary. | |
| Flea Beetles | |
| Characteristics: Adults are 1.5 to 3 mm long, black or bronze beetles. Their hind legs are well | |
| developed for jumping. The white larvae are in the soil, and therefore seldom seen. Depending | |
| on species, there are one or two generations a year. Adults overwinter in the soil. Eggs are laid on | |
| or near the roots where larvae feed. Mature larvae pupate in the soil near the host plant. Adults | |
| emerge in early August for single-generation species. Last-generation adults feed on foliage until | |
| fall, when they return to the soil to overwinter. | |
| Control: Before transplanting, lightly spray the plants in the flats with a field spray insecticide. | |
| Watch closely in the field as damage may occur suddenly and an insecticide may be needed. | |
| Tomato Fruit Worm (Corn earworm) | |
| Characteristics: This pest is not usually a serious problem. Larvae feed on the fruit. See Corn | |
| Guide for description. During years of high populations of this insect, damage can be severe | |
| when pesticides are not used in a preventative manner. | |
| Control: The insecticides applied for flea beetles will control this pest. | |
| The Colorado Potato Beetle | |
| Characteristics: The Colorado Potato Beetle is an occasional pest. Larvae feed on leaves. | |
| Control: Insecticides applied for the flea beetle will control this pest. Insecticide resistance can | |
| be a problem. | |
| Wireworm | |
| Characteristics: Early in the spring, adult wireworms (click beetles) lay their eggs around grass | |
| roots. The larvae hatch in about a week and, depending on the species, will live for 1 to 5 years in | |
| the ground feeding on roots and seeds. Wireworms require 3 or more years to complete their life | |
| cycle. Wireworms of all sizes and ages are present in the soil throughout the year as there is | |
| always an overlapping of generations. The wireworms, or larvae, are yellow, white or darker | |
| shades of brown. Fully developed larvae may be 1.2 to 4 cm long and have a hard, smooth | |
| surface. When a larva is mature, it pupates in the fall. It then becomes an adult beetle and waits | |
| until spring to emerge. Wireworms are often numerous in land that has been in sod for several | |
| years. They are also more abundant in heavy poorly drained soil. | |
| Wireworms are sometimes confused with millipedes. Millipedes have numerous pairs of legs and | |
| coil up when disturbed, while wireworms have three pairs of legs near the front of the body and | |
| do not coil up. Monitor fields prior to planting and | |
| Control: Monitor fields prior to planting and avoid planting crops highly susceptible to | |
| wireworms in a field that has been recently in sod. See appendix III in the Guide to Pest | |
| Management for Vegetable Crops. | |
| SPECIFIC CHEMICAL CONTROLS FOR THE VARIOUS CROP PESTS DISCUSSED MAY | |
| BE FOUND IN THE ‘GUIDE TO PEST MANAGEMENT’ FOR VEGETABLE CROPS. | |
| Harvesting and Handling | |
| Pick fruit at the ripe, pink or mature-green stage depending on its use and distance to market. At | |
| about 21 C, pink fruits ripen in 1 to 2 days and mature-green fruits in 4 to 5 days. Exposure of | |
| green fruit to ethylene supplied as a gas to harvested fruit, or as a field spray of ethephon, | |
| accelerates ripening. Prolonged exposure to temperatures above 30 C can inhibit red pigment | |
| formation. | |
| Ethephon is used for field ripening of processing tomatoes for once over harvesting. | |
| Storage and Conditioning | |
| Mature-green tomatoes should be stored at 13 C to 21 C. Optimum temperatures for ripening are | |
| between 18 C to 21 C, while 14 C to 16 C is most desirable for slowing ripening without | |
| increasing decay. Firm ripe fruit can be held as low as 7 C to 10 C (pink fruit are stored at | |
| intermediate temperatures, 10 to 15 C). Relative humidity in all cases should be 90 to 95%. | |
| Mature green fruit can be held 2 to 6 weeks while ripe fruit can only be held 1 week in | |
| conventional storage. Controlled atmosphere storage may be used to delay ripening and extend | |
| storage life. Botrytis and Alternaria rots may be a problem, especially if fruit have been chilled in | |
| the field or in storage. | |
| Bibliography | |
| (See also General References) | |
| McKeen, C. D. 1984. Tomato Diseases. Agriculture Canada. Pub. 1479E. 58 pp. | |
| Stephens, C.T., D. G. Helsel, and H. C. Price. 1983. Tomato Disorders. M.S.U. Co-operative | |
| Extension Bulletin E-1679. 15 pp. | |
| Tomato Diseases and Their Control. 1972. U.S.D.A. Agricultural Handbook No. 203. 109 pp. | |
| Diseases and Pests of Vegetable Crops in Canada. 1994. Canadian Phytopathological Society and | |
| Entomological Society of Canada. pp 269 to 289 and pp 489 to 501. | |
| Peppers and Tomatoes Research Profile. 1995. Vegetable and Potato Producers Association of | |
| Nova Scotia. 196 pp. | |
| Commercial Production of Staked Tomatoes in North Carolina. 1990. North Carolina State | |
| University (Ag. Extension Services). 23 pp." | |
| "Grow Tomatoes from Seed | |
| By Suzanne DeJohn | |
| A crop of tomato seedlings growing in Biodegradable Cowpots. | |
| If you've never bitten into a fragrant, vine-ripened, sun-warmed tomato harvested fresh from | |
| your own garden, you haven't tasted a real tomato. And once you do, you'll never again be | |
| satisfied with the mealy supermarket impostors. Fortunately, tomato plants are easy to grow and | |
| remarkably productive. | |
| Tomatoes are long-season, heat-loving plants that won't tolerate frost, so it's best to set them | |
| into the garden as transplants (young plants) after the weather has warmed up in spring. You | |
| can purchase tomato transplants, but there's something especially rewarding about starting your | |
| own plants indoors. Plus, by growing your own transplants you can choose from among | |
| hundreds of tomato varieties that are available as seed but rarely sold as transplants. | |
| Quick to germinate and grow, tomato seeds are best sown indoors about six weeks before your | |
| average last frost date. (To determine your last frost date, ask a gardening neighbor or call your | |
| Cooperative Extension office.) | |
| Here's what you'll need to start tomato seeds indoors: | |
| Tomato seeds | |
| Sterile seed starting mix | |
| Containers | |
| A warm place with sufficient light | |
| Fertilizer | |
| Seeds | |
| There are hundreds of tomato varieties available as seed, and choosing a few for your home | |
| garden can be a daunting task. Here are a few things to consider: | |
| Decide on the type of tomatoes you want; for example, cherry tomatoes, slicers or | |
| tomatoes for making sauce or paste. | |
| Consider the size of the mature plants. ""Determinate"" tomatoes grow to about 3 feet tall | |
| and are the best choice for containers. ""Indeterminate"" tomatoes get very large, up to 6 | |
| feet tall. (All tomatoes benefit from support with cages or ladders.) | |
| Look for disease-resistance. Tomatoes are susceptible to a number of diseases that | |
| may or may not be a problem in your region. To be on the safe side, I always grow at | |
| least one variety with resistance to verticillium and fusarium (designated by a V or F after | |
| the variety name). | |
| For more detailed information, read below How to Select the Right Tomato Variety below. | |
| Seedstarting Mix | |
| Always use a sterile, soilless mix to start seeds. Avoid | |
| garden soil, which often drains poorly and may harbor | |
| disease organisms. Look for mixes labeled for | |
| seedstarting, such as our Germinating Mix; it has a fine | |
| texture that's perfect for delicate seedlings. (Learn | |
| more: Choosing the Right Soil for Seed Starting.) | |
| Containers | |
| You can start your seeds in just about anything that | |
| holds soil and has drainage holes — I've used small | |
| yogurt containers and even egg cartons with holes | |
| poked in the bottoms and waterproof saucers | |
| underneath. However, I've found it more convenient to | |
| use purchased pots, such as Biodegradable Cowpots | |
| and seed starting systems, such as APS seed starters. | |
| Warmth and Light | |
| Seeds germinate best at warm room temperature (70-75F); you can speed germination by | |
| providing bottom heat with a heat mat. Once they're up and growing, seedlings grow best in | |
| cool room temperature, about 65F. | |
| Although you can start your tomatoes on a sunny windowsill, you'll get better results growing | |
| them under some type of grow light. Winter and early spring sunlight isn't nearly as intense as | |
| summer sunlight, and there are fewer hours of daylight, too. Insufficient light can lead to weak, | |
| spindly plants. A light garden with adjustable fluorescent lights is ideal for seed starting. Learn | |
| more: Gardening Under Lights. | |
| Step-By-Step Seed Starting | |
| Here are the steps to successfully starting your tomato seeds. | |
| Thoroughly moisten the seed starting mix, and then fill the containers to within 1/2″ of the | |
| top. Firm the mix but don't compact it. | |
| Place two or three seeds into each small container or each cell of an APS. Cover the | |
| seed with about 1/4″ of soil and gently firm it over the seeds. | |
| Tomato seedlings in a self-watering APS | |
| seedstarter. | |
| Water to ensure good seed-to-mix contact. You can use a plant mister or just dribble a | |
| stream of water over the top. You don't need to soak the soil, just moisten the top layer. | |
| Place the pots in a warm spot or on top of a heat mat. At this point, the seeds don't need | |
| light. | |
| Keep the mix moist but not soaking wet. If your seedstarting system has a greenhouse | |
| top, use it to help hold moisture. Or, you can lay some plastic kitchen wrap over the tops | |
| of the pots. | |
| Check pots daily. As soon as you see sprouts remove the covering and place the pots in the | |
| sunny window or under grow lights, keeping the lights just an inch or two above the | |
| Growing On | |
| Continue to keep the soil moist but not saturated. Dry seedstarting mix is lighter in color than | |
| moist mix — a good indication that it needs watering. Some gardeners run a fan in the room | |
| with their growing seedlings; good air circulation reduces the chances of disease problems, | |
| such as damping off. | |
| If you're growing plants on a windowsill, rotate pots daily so plants grow upright instead of | |
| leaning toward the light. If you're growing under lights, raise the lights as the plants grow, | |
| keeping them just a few inches above the plants. | |
| Thinning. For the strongest, healthiest plants you'll | |
| want just one seedling per pot or cell. Thinning | |
| (removing extra seedlings) is a tough task for many | |
| gardeners who hesitate to dispatch the seedlings | |
| they've been nurturing. But it has to be done. Select | |
| the strongest, healthiest seedling and use a pair of | |
| scissors to snip off the others at the soil line. You can | |
| try to transplant the extras into different pots, but you | |
| risk disturbing the roots of the remaining plant and, | |
| realistically, how many tomato plants can your garden | |
| accommodate? | |
| Fertilizing. Once the second set of true leaves | |
| appears, it's time to begin fertilizing. The first two | |
| leaves are called ""seed leaves;"" subsequent leaves are | |
| called ""true leaves."" Use a soluble fertilizer, such as | |
| PHC for Seedlings, diluted to half the recommended | |
| rate. Apply it once or twice a week. | |
| Repotting. Your tomatoes may need to be | |
| transplanted to larger containers if they outgrow their | |
| pots before it's time to set them outdoors. Don't allow | |
| the plant to get pot-bound, with the roots filling the | |
| container, or growth may be stunted. For step-by-step | |
| instructions, read How to Repot a Tomato Seedling. | |
| Transplanting into the garden. Wait to transplant your tomato seedlings into the garden until | |
| after the average last spring frost date. Be prepared to protect the seedlings with garden fabric | |
| (row cover) if a late frost threatens. If all goes well, you'll be harvesting ripe tomatoes in eight | |
| weeks or less. | |
| Use scissors to thin out crowded seedlings. | |
| How to Select the Right Tomato Variety | |
| For most gardeners, just any old tomato won't do | |
| By Kathy LaLiberte | |
| A bowl of several kinds of small tomatoes: cherry-, plum- and pear-shaped. | |
| From North to South, and coast to coast, tomatoes are consistently the most popular vegetable | |
| in American gardens. But for most gardeners, just any old tomato won't do. | |
| Some like them red, some like them yellow, orange or | |
| even purple! Some prefer tomatoes as tiny as a dime | |
| and some want them as big as a melon. Some like | |
| them juicy, some like them dense and pulpy. | |
| Fortunately, there are almost 700 different tomato | |
| varieties in cultivation today. Plenty of choices for | |
| everyone! | |
| If you've been gardening for many years, you probably | |
| already have a few favorite tomato varieties that you | |
| plant every year. In my own garden, I've tried at least | |
| two dozen different varieties over the years. When | |
| spring comes and it's time to decide which tomato | |
| varieties to grow, here's what I think about: fruit | |
| characteristics, time to maturity, growth habit and | |
| disease resistance. | |
| Disease resistance is important, because tomatoes are vulnerable to a number of diseases | |
| that can weaken the plant and reduce yields. Look at the catalog description, seed packet or | |
| plant label to see if that variety has resistance to verticillium and fusarium wilt, two very common | |
| soil-borne diseases that affect tomatoes. Resistance to these diseases is designated by a V or | |
| F after the variety name. If tomatoes in your region suffer from root-knot nematode (N), Tobacco | |
| Mosaic virus (T) or Alternaria (A), look for resistance to these diseases as well. Late blight has | |
| been a problem in recent years. Do what you can to understand the disease and prevent it. | |
| Two varieties with unusual striping. | |
| Growth habit is important to consider because to get a bumper tomato crop, you need to | |
| provide enough room for the plant and adequate support. Tomato plants have one of two growth | |
| habits. Determinate (bush) varieties grow to a certain height (usually 2-3 ft), set fruit, and then | |
| concentrate on ripening that fruit. Indeterminate (vine) varieties keep growing taller and taller, | |
| setting and ripening fruit until they’re killed by frost. | |
| If you have a limited amount of growing space or will be growing tomatoes in a container, you | |
| should probably select a determinate (bush) variety. Determinate varieties are also good for | |
| cold climate gardeners who need to harvest their whole crop within a couple weeks. If you have | |
| plenty of space, prefer to pick your tomatoes over several months, and are prepared to provide | |
| sturdy support with stakes, cages or ladders, select a an indeterminate variety. | |
| Heirloom, Open-Pollinated or Hybrid? | |
| If you want to save your own seeds from one year to the next, you should plant heirloom or | |
| open-pollinated varieties. Seeds collected from these plants will ""come true"", meaning they will | |
| grow into an identical plant the following year. Heirloom tomatoes such as 'Brandywine', 'Red | |
| Calabash', 'Mortgage Lifter' and 'Arkansas Traveler' are all open-pollinated varieties that have | |
| been passed on from one generation to the next. | |
| Hybrids are a cross between two genetically different varieties that have been selected for | |
| certain desirable traits. Hybrid varieties often offer better disease resistance or higher yields, but | |
| they will not come true from seed. | |
| Most varieties of paste tomatoes are determinate. Because most of the fruit ripens within two or | |
| three weeks, I spend those couple weekends canning, making sauce for the freezer, and | |
| running the dehydrator. Then it's over! Because these determinate plants only get about 2 ft | |
| high, they do fine without any support. I just use plastic or straw mulch to keep the fruit off the | |
| ground. | |
| Most cherry and beefsteak tomatoes are indeterminate. This means the plants get huge, but it | |
| also means they produce fruit continuously from early July right to frost. | |
| Time to maturity is important if you have a short growing season. Where I live, I need to | |
| harvest my tomatoes by early September, before the light fades and frost comes. So I look for | |
| tomato varieties that will start ripening fruit in less than 75 days. Many of the really big beefsteak | |
| varieties require a full 90 days to mature. | |
| Fruit characteristics are what I care about most. I use tomatoes in salads, on sandwiches, and | |
| just to eat out of hand. I dry them, can them and also use them in fresh and frozen sauces. So I | |
| select tomato varieties based on how well they're suited to these uses. Here are three of the | |
| varieties I've been planting lately: | |
| Sun Gold is a 65-day, indeterminate golden-orange cherry tomato. The plants are big | |
| and rangy, so they need to be well staked, and should be surrounded by a strong cage, | |
| such as the Tomato Tower. Support them well, and they'll produce an incredible | |
| abundance of 1"" diameter ultra-sweet fruit over a full 3 months. If you live where | |
| summers are hot, you probably don't have much trouble growing sweet, flavorful | |
| tomatoes. But in areas where summer is short and nights are cool, tomatoes never get | |
| very sweet. I have been so spoiled by Sun Gold's dependable super-sweet flavor that I | |
| now add them to my tomato sauces and slice them onto my sandwiches. I even dry | |
| them to toss into winter salads and pasta dishes. | |
| Big Beef is another indeterminate tomato, but it produces big, 4 to 6"" diameter fruit that | |
| are great for tomato sandwiches. At 80 days, this variety is early for a beefsteak-type, so | |
| I usually get a couple weeks worth of ripe fruit before frost. Tomato Ladders work well for | |
| this variety. | |
| Juliet is a 60-day indeterminate that produces a huge crop. The fruit is oval and it's | |
| about 2"" long. It's firm, glossy and quite dense, like a miniature paste tomato. Juliet | |
| ripens fast and furious, and I use it for soups, sauces, salsas and cold salads. They also | |
| get stewed whole for canning, and get halved for drying." | |
| "Tomatoes are among the most popular and rewarding crops for summer gardens. While all fruit and vegetables | |
| taste better picked fresh from the garden, tomatoes are in a class of their own. The flavor of a ripe, homegrown | |
| tomato picked on a warm summer day is hard to beat. | |
| Homegrown tomatoes are packed with goodness. Tomatoes provide lycopene, which is an antioxidant found in red | |
| fruit, along with vitamins A and C, carotene and dietary fibre. They consist of approximately 94.5% water. | |
| Tomatoes originated in South and Central America and are part of the Solanaceae or nightshade family, which | |
| also includes potato, tobacco and chilli. First domesticated by the Aztecs before 500BC, there are now | |
| believed to be more than 10,000 tomato cultivars. | |
| Growing Tomatoes | |
| for more info: | |
| Toll Free 1800 335 508 | |
| www.seasol.com.au | |
| When to plant | |
| Tomatoes can be grown in most part of Australia. Check with garden centres | |
| and hardware stores for varieties available in your local area. | |
| 1. In subtropical and tropical climates tomatoes can be planted and grown | |
| year-round. | |
| 2. In cool and temperate regions climates grow tomatoes in the warmest | |
| parts of the year, planting out around October or November. Seeds can be | |
| sown from late winter onwards, but seedlings should not be planted out | |
| until the soil has begun to warm and all chance of frost has passed. If the | |
| weather does turn cold, cover plants overnight to protect them from frost. | |
| 3. In warm temperate areas tomatoes are planted from August onwards. | |
| Make several plantings through spring and early summer to keep the fruit | |
| coming well into autumn. | |
| Location | |
| • They grow best in full sun (or with light afternoon shade in hotter | |
| climates). Protect young seedlings with shade cloth. | |
| • In smaller spaces or in containers select patio tomatoes, which are small, | |
| sturdy plants that don’t need large stakes and can grow without support, | |
| or cascading or tumbling varieties that can be grown to spill over the | |
| edge of a pot or raised garden bed. Cherry-style tomatoes have small | |
| fruit but form large plants. | |
| • Do not plant tomatoes in the same location as last season, as this can | |
| expose tomatoes to soil-borne diseases. | |
| • Companion plant with basil, parsley, garlic, marigolds and nasturtiums. | |
| Soil | |
| Tomatoes prefer a slightly acidic to neutral, | |
| light, well-drained soil but will also grow well | |
| in slightly alkaline soil. | |
| Dig in compost or well-rotted manure before planting | |
| or apply Seasol Liquid Compost. | |
| In areas with heavy or poorly drained soils, grow | |
| tomatoes in raised garden beds. | |
| A soil rich in nutrients helps build strong plants so add | |
| Seasol Plant + Soil Booster (100g per square metre) | |
| and a fertiliser such as PowerFeed Controlled | |
| Release Tomatoes & Vegetables. | |
| *Check application rates on product | |
| labels or go to the Seasol website. | |
| LIFE CYCLE OF TOMATOES | |
| 1 | |
| Seed Germination Baby tomato | |
| seedlings | |
| Planting out | |
| tomato seedlings | |
| Tomato | |
| plant growth | |
| Tomato flower and | |
| fruit growth | |
| Tomato harvest | |
| 2 3 4 5 6 7 | |
| 4. Planting out tomato seedlings | |
| Growing Tomatoes | |
| for more info: | |
| Toll Free 1800 335 508 | |
| www.seasol.com.au | |
| *Check application rates on product | |
| labels or go to the Seasol website. | |
| 1. Sowing seeds 2. Germination | |
| 3. Baby tomato seedlings | |
| • Grow from seed sown into individual seed cells or punnets to | |
| transplant in around six weeks. | |
| • Press two or three seeds about 1-2cm down into moist seed | |
| raising mix and cover lightly cover with more mix or vermiculite. | |
| Do not plant the seeds too deep as they will not germinate. | |
| • Water in well with Seasol GOLD or Seasol as this will help to | |
| increase seed germination rates. Soil should be moist but not wet, | |
| so check soil moisture daily to ensure tomato seeds have the | |
| right conditions to germinate. | |
| • Tomatoes can be grown in individual 10-15cm pots or large | |
| containers. Continue to shelter until conditions warm and all threat | |
| of frost has passed before moving seedlings outside. | |
| • Tomatoes need warm conditions to germinate | |
| (16°C and above). Expect germination in 6-14 days | |
| (slower rates in colder conditions). | |
| • For faster seed germination rates in seed trays, put them | |
| inside on a heating pad. | |
| • When tomatoes sprout, they only have two leaves. These | |
| seedlings leaves look like two narrow leaves on either side | |
| of the stem. | |
| • Water gently and apply Seasol GOLD or Seasol weekly | |
| (30mL of concentrate per 9 litres of water) | |
| as this will help to stimulate strong root | |
| development and healthy growth. | |
| • About two weeks after the seed leaves have opened, the true | |
| leaves will appear; these are the first tomato leaves. | |
| • If overcrowding occurs, select the strongest seedling and thin | |
| out or transplant the rest. | |
| • Use scissors or tweezers to thin out seedlings to avoid | |
| disturbing young roots. | |
| • Tomato seedlings need a lot of nutrients to grow to produce | |
| a tasty bumper crop so liquid feed with PowerFeed PRO | |
| SERIES for Tomatoes & Vegetables every 2 weeks. Increase the | |
| application rates from 20mL to 50mL of concentrate per 9 litres | |
| of water as the plants mature. | |
| • Check soil moisture daily and water as needed. | |
| • Transplant homegrown seedlings when they | |
| form two to three true leaves and are large | |
| enough to handle. Space 50-60cm apart (depending on variety) | |
| in rows at least 60cm apart (greater spacing makes it easier to | |
| manage and train vines). | |
| • Most tomatoes are tall-growing vines (indeterminate) that need | |
| plenty of space and the support of 2-3m high stakes, a tripod or | |
| trellis to grow strong and healthy. | |
| • Where seedlings have been purchased, plant according to the | |
| directions on the plant tag. | |
| • Seedlings or grafted plants should be planted deeply, burying the | |
| bottom few centimetres of the stem in the soil to encourage extra | |
| root formation which not only gives the plant extra support but | |
| also can source extra nutrients and water. | |
| • Check the moisture level of the soil daily and water when needed. | |
| 5. Tomato plant growth | |
| • Tie growth to supports using | |
| a soft tie so as not to damage | |
| the stem. Tie below a leaf stalk | |
| or flower cluster. | |
| • Control the bushiness of the plant by pruning out laterals | |
| (shoots from the leaf axils). This also allows more sunlight to | |
| reach developing fruit. | |
| • As the plant reaches the top of the stake, it can be tip pruned | |
| to control its size. | |
| • Every 6-8 weeks apply another application of PowerFeed | |
| Controlled Release Tomatoes & Vegetables to produce a | |
| bumper crop of tasty tomatoes and to revitalise depleted soils. | |
| Remember to water it in thoroughly after application. | |
| Growing Tomatoes | |
| • In fruit fly zones begin to protect fruit as | |
| soon as it is fully sized and well before it | |
| ripens. | |
| • Green fruit ripen indoors but flavour is at its best when tomatoes | |
| are vine ripened. | |
| • Healthy tomato plants continue to fruit and grow until cold conditions | |
| halt growth. | |
| • Keep tomato plants healthy by removing dead and diseased leaves | |
| and stems. This will also opens up air circulation around the plant. | |
| for more info: | |
| Toll Free 1800 335 508 | |
| www.seasol.com.au | |
| *Check application rates on product | |
| labels or go to the Seasol website. | |
| • Remove weeds as they appear as they | |
| compete for space and nutrients. | |
| • Mulch around each plant suppresses | |
| weeds and helps retain soil moisture | |
| and can prevent the spread of | |
| mites to the leaves. | |
| • Fruiting quickly follows | |
| flowering and will form in | |
| 12-20 weeks from sowing seed. | |
| • As flowers begin, apply | |
| PowerFeed PRO SERIES for | |
| Tomatoes & Vegetables and | |
| Seasol GOLD or Seasol weekly. | |
| 7. Tomato harvest | |
| 6. Tomato flower & fruit growth | |
| Things to watch out for... | |
| • Fruit fly These pests (Queensland fruit fly and medfly), which are found | |
| in all parts of Australia except South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, | |
| can ruin tomato crops. To protect tomatoes as they ripen, regularly | |
| apply baits containing spinosad such as Eco Naturalure (follow the | |
| instructions on the container), bag fruit or pick fruit to ripen indoors. | |
| • Tomato russet mite While this tiny mite is hard to see, its damage is | |
| obvious particularly in hot weather. Leaves start to brown and die from | |
| the base of the plant moving upwards. It can also cause corky damage | |
| to fruit. Control with regular applications tomato dust, which will also | |
| control other pests such as caterpillars and thrips. Removing lower | |
| leaves can also slow the attack. | |
| • Blossom end rot Water-stressed tomatoes fail to take up enough | |
| calcium from the soil and their fruit can be affected by blossom end | |
| rot, which causes brown, leathery patches to form at the base of the | |
| fruit. Increase frequency of watering. | |
| • Target spot Brown spots and yellowing leaves indicate the fungal | |
| disease known as target spot, which can also spread to stems and | |
| fruit. Control with registered fungicides. Crop rotation is important to | |
| control this disease, which also attacks potatoes and weeds in the | |
| Solanaceae family. | |
| • Tomato viruses There are a range of viruses that cause tomato plants | |
| to wilt or die back. Most are also found on other Solanaceae plants | |
| including potatoes and weeds. Sap-sucking insects such as thrips can | |
| spread viral diseases. Manage by following crop rotation (not growing | |
| Solanaceae crops in the same beds in successive seasons), controlling | |
| weeds and controlling pests. Remove any affected plants. There are no | |
| chemical controls. | |
| • Tomato ripening Tomatoes may stop flowering and fruiting when | |
| temperatures rise above 35°C however, when the temperatures drop | |
| below this level, they’ll return to productivity." | |
| "TOMATO PRODUCTION | |
| Introduction | |
| Tomato is a popular garden vegetable used in salads, as a vegetable, processed into tomato | |
| paste, sauce and puree. Tomato is very rich in vitamins. It belongs to the Nightshade family | |
| along with potatoes, peppers and eggplants. | |
| Types of tomato | |
| There are 2 types of Tomatoes – determinate and indeterminate types. | |
| Determinate types | |
| The determinate tomatoes, or ""bush"" tomatoes, grow to a height 3 - 4' and stop growing | |
| when fruit sets on the top bud. All the tomatoes from the plant ripen at approximately the | |
| same time (usually over a period of 1- 2 weeks). They are mainly grown for canning. They | |
| require a limited amount of staking for support. Examples of determinate tomato include – | |
| Oxyl, Rambo F1, and Sandokan F1. | |
| Indeterminate types | |
| Indeterminate tomatoes can grow to well over 6’. They flower, set new fruit and ripen fruits | |
| for many months. They require substantial staking for support. Examples of indeterminate | |
| tomatoes include – Chonto F1, Bravo F1, and Mavuno F1. | |
| Image: Wikihow.com | |
| Indeterminate variety keeps growing while determinate stops growing after the first harvest | |
| Ecological requirements | |
| Temperature | |
| Tomato is a warm-season crop that is sensitive to frost. An average temperature of 20 -24 °C | |
| is needed for good growth & yield and high fruit quality. Fruit set and quality are poor at | |
| temperatures below 12 °C while temperatures above 35 °C with hot, dry winds cause | |
| excessive flower drop. Continuous moist, rainy weather conditions result in the occurrence | |
| and spread of foliar diseases. | |
| Soil requirements | |
| Tomato grows best in deep, well-drained loams. The soil should be rich in organic matter and | |
| plant nutrients, with a pH value of 6 -7. | |
| Tomato does well under the following conditions: | |
| • Medium rainfall range of 760 - 1300 mm though can be done under irrigation | |
| • Optimum temperature of 20-25℃ during the day and 15-17℃ at night | |
| • Well-drained light loam-fertile soils with a pH of 5-7. | |
| Use certified tomato seeds. These are disease free and give higher yield. | |
| Varieties preference may depend on where to grow (greenhouse or open field), target market | |
| i.e. canning or fresh market. | |
| Growing tomatoes | |
| Tomatoes are first started in a nursery for 3-4 weeks before transferring to the field. | |
| Nursery establishment | |
| Tomato is first started in a nursery. Nursery should be an area that does not flood. Make it on | |
| a level ground to avoid erosion of soil, seed & nutrients. You will need about 100g of | |
| seed/acre. | |
| Follow the steps below to make a good nursery: | |
| 1. Select a site and a field in which a crop of tomato family e.g. potato, eggplant, pepper, | |
| tobacco had not been previously grown. Since same pests and diseases attack them, | |
| seedlings can easily be affected. | |
| 2. Make raised nursery beds 15 cm above the ground and 1 metre wide to easily reach all | |
| plants. | |
| 3. Put 1 debe of manure for every square metre of nursery bed and mix well with soil. | |
| 4. To plant make shallow furrow (about) 1cm & 15-20 cm apart across the bed and place the | |
| seeds. | |
| 5. Cover lightly with soil and put dried grass as mulch on the nursery bed | |
| 6. Spray the soil with an insecticides like Pearl 50SC and a fungicide like CONTROL 70DF to | |
| stop early pests and diseases in the nursery | |
| 7. The seeds will sprout within 8 days. | |
| 8. When seedling sprout, remove the mulch and make a shade over the bed | |
| 9. Water the seedlings 2-3 times a week. | |
| Image: Shamba Shape Up | |
| Make a raised bed 15cm high & have a shade | |
| Image: Shamba Shape Up | |
| Drench in the nursery and after transplanting | |
| Transplanting | |
| Transplant Tomato seedlings from the nursery when they have developed strong root & top | |
| growth. This is after 3-4 weeks after planting in the nursery & seedlings are 6-10 inches tall. | |
| Image: Shamba Shape Up | |
| For transplanting, select healthy seedlings 6-10 inches tall and with at least 3-4 leaves | |
| Procedure for transplanting: | |
| 1. 6-9 days before transplanting reduce amount of watering & remove shade to harden & | |
| prepare seedlings to outdoor conditions. | |
| 2. To reduce transplant shock of seedlings, transplant seedlings in the evening or on a cloudy, | |
| cool day. Avoid transplanting in a hot, sunny, windy day. | |
| 3. When transplanting the seedlings from nursery, pull them up with a lump of soil. This will | |
| stop roots drying out & seedling with establish faster. | |
| Planting Out | |
| 1. It is recommended to make a soil test 3-5 months before crop is planted. This will enable | |
| you to make an appropriate fertilizer management programme for good growth and high | |
| yield without wasting fertilizer. You will also detect if soil has serious diseases like | |
| Bacterial wilt. | |
| 2. If soil testing has not been done, make holes about 15cm deep, put a handful of manure &1 | |
| bottle-top of Mavuno planting fertilizer. Plant 1 seedling/hole (with leaves 5-10cm above | |
| the soil) & firm the soil around the plant. | |
| 3. Water Tomato plants regularly, putting water at the stem (not leaves), water early in | |
| morning or later in the day but not at night. This will reduce some fungal diseases | |
| 4. Mulch the seedlings 3-5 weeks after planting (not earlier) by placing dry grass at the base | |
| of the plants. The grass will keep off weeds, stop soil from drying & also stop pests. | |
| Image: Shamba Shape Up | |
| The right spacing for transplanting tomatoes is 45cm from on plant to another on rows | |
| 60cm apart | |
| Fertilization (Top-dressing & Foliar Feed) | |
| 1. Top-dress the plants with MAVUNO TOPDRESS 26:0:0 at 10g/plant after 3-4 weeks of | |
| transplanting. Leaf establishment in the plant uses nitrogen in the fertilizer. | |
| 2. Top-dress again with MAVUNO NPK 15:10:22 at 10g/plant when plants flower. The | |
| compound fertilizer is necessary for the supply of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium | |
| that is needed for flowering. | |
| 3. The NPK (compound) fertilizer NPK top-dress should be repeated after the first harvest. | |
| 4. In addition to NPK Tomato require other nutrients (known as micro-nutrients) in small | |
| quantities. To provide these, foliar feeds should be applied regularly. | |
| 5. During flowering & fruit setting avoid excessive Nitrogen; it leads to excess vegetative | |
| growth, poor fruit set, smaller fruits, hollow fruits and poor keeping quality. | |
| 6. Inadequate calcium can lead to Blossom-end rot disease; this disease can be corrected by | |
| applying calcium fertilizers or foliar spray such as EASYGRO Calcium. | |
| Weeding | |
| 1. Weeds use food from the soil, space and water that Tomato crop needs. Pests stay on | |
| weeds and will jump across and cause harm to your crop. Take off the weeds often. | |
| 2. If weeds are left uncontrolled, severe infestations can reduce yield at least 50% | |
| 3. Use of mulch acts as a barrier to the growth of many weeds and at the same time | |
| conserving moisture in the soil. | |
| 4. Hand weeding is recommended both for the greenhouse and outdoor tomatoes. | |
| Image: Shamba Shape Up | |
| Take out weeds using a jembe to keep field weed-free. Mulching stop weeds from growing | |
| Supporting the plant | |
| Tomato plant is supported to allow free air movement and reduces moisture accumulation | |
| thus reducing disease incidences. | |
| 1. Tying the plant on poles and wires does the support. This is usually done early at 3-4 | |
| weeks after transplanting – to avoid plant damage. | |
| 2. Tie a string lightly on the tomato and then gently twine the string around the plant to avoid | |
| snapping the stem. Alternatively, a peg can be inserted in soil just adjacent to the tomato | |
| and a string tied on to it and then tied on the barbed wire above; the tomato is then made | |
| to wind on the string. | |
| Staking | |
| Staking is required to support plants once the fruiting starts especially for indeterminate | |
| types. | |
| § It keeps vines and leaves off the ground; fruit is cleaner with less rotting. | |
| § It makes harvesting easier. | |
| § It makes it easier working around plants. | |
| Image: Shamba Shape Up | |
| Support tomato stems by staking for clean and quality fruit | |
| How to stake | |
| 1. Use stakes (wooden, metal, bamboo cane) and push them into the soil 1-2 inches away | |
| from the main stem. | |
| 2. Loosely tie the main stem to the stake with a soft thick cord that will not cut into the stem | |
| over time. | |
| Image: Wikihow.com | |
| Fix stakes close to plants and tie loosely around the plant | |
| Pruning | |
| This is the regular removal of side shoots to remain with two healthy stems. | |
| 1. Weekly scout for side shoots before they develop into big shoots. | |
| 2. Remove side shoots, laterals, old leaves, diseased leaves & branches and overshadowed | |
| lower leaves by hand. | |
| 3. Remove flowers to 5-6 per cluster so as to get medium- large sized fruits. | |
| 4. To avoid the spread of diseases from plant to plant, do not use secateurs or a knife, ‘pinch | |
| out’ instead using your thumb and forefinger. | |
| 5. After formation of the first fruit cluster of mature green tomatoes remove all the lower | |
| older leaves to allow for ventilation and disperse food to the fruits. | |
| Image: Wikihow.com | |
| When pruning, remove old leaves, excess flower clusters and side shoots | |
| Pests and Diseases | |
| Regularly, look out for pests & diseases in Tomato crop & control them as soon as possible. | |
| Pests | |
| Scouting two to three times per week, however, allowing for early detection of infestations | |
| and timely application of pest specific control measures is the most cost-effective | |
| management strategy. | |
| The best time to look for pests is in the morning when they are on the plant before leaving to | |
| feed. | |
| Common pests include; Aphids, thrips, whiteflies, cutworms, bollworms, leaf miners, spider | |
| mites and nematodes. | |
| Disease | |
| Diseases cause Tomato to have poor yield & poor quality. They are more serious in hot & | |
| humid weather. | |
| Common diseases include: Wilts, Blight, Leaf spots and mildews. | |
| 1. For the control of pests, cultural methods are the best e.g. clean weeding, use of certified | |
| seed, destroying alternate hosts etc. | |
| 2. Do not wait till the pest or disease symptoms begin to show. Carry out preventive spraying; | |
| observe the product label recommendations in each case. For diseases e.g. mildews, blight, | |
| copper-based or sulphur-based fungicides are used. | |
| 3. Viral diseases can be controlled by controlling vectors. Key vectors include; aphids, thrips, | |
| whiteflies and nematodes" | |
| "Tomatoes | |
| NEP-224 | |
| Growing Your Own | |
| A beginner’s guide to gardening | |
| Tomatoes are a popular summer crop that many consider to be a basic part of the home garden. Growing | |
| tomatoes can require more labor compared to other vegetables, but the results can be very rewarding. | |
| Varieties | |
| There are two different kinds of tomato plants. Indeterminate tomatoes keep growing taller all season. Determinate tomatoes grow to a certain height and then stop. | |
| Early Girl | |
| (Photo: Johnny's Selected Seeds, johnnyseeds.com) | |
| Terenzo | |
| (Photo: All-American Selections) | |
| Determinate tomato plants | |
| are shorter than indeterminate | |
| plants. They can be staked, caged, | |
| or trellised, and need to be pruned | |
| only once. The harvest period is | |
| shorter compared to indeterminate types. You will harvest more | |
| tomatoes over a shorter period of | |
| time compared to indeterminate | |
| types. | |
| Some varieties of determinate | |
| tomatoes are: | |
| • Celebrity | |
| • Mountain Fresh | |
| • Carolina Gold (golden yellow) | |
| • Plum Dandy (paste) | |
| • Terenzo (cherry) | |
| This institution is an equal | |
| opportunity provider. | |
| This material was partially | |
| funded by USDA’s | |
| Supplemental Nutrition | |
| Assistance Program—SNAP. | |
| This work is supported by the Expanded | |
| Food and Nutrition Education Program | |
| from the USDA National Institute of | |
| Food and Agriculture. | |
| Indeterminate tomato plants | |
| must be trellised in order to stay | |
| upright. Pruning lower suckers | |
| (side branches) as the plants grow | |
| taller is recommended. Tomato | |
| harvest continues throughout the | |
| summer season as the plant grows. | |
| Some varieties of indeterminate | |
| tomatoes are: | |
| • Better Boy | |
| • Beefsteak (large fruit) | |
| • Early Girl | |
| • Juliet (grape) | |
| • Jolly (pear shaped) | |
| • Supersweet 100 (cherry) | |
| • Sungold (golden yellow cherry) | |
| • Cherokee Purple (heirloom, | |
| dark purple) | |
| • Brandywine (heirloom, red, | |
| pink, and yellow types) | |
| 2 | |
| How much to plant | |
| Plan for two or three plants for each person in | |
| your family. This should provide enough fresh | |
| tomatoes for everyone for most of the summer. | |
| For a family of five, that would be 10 to 15 plants. | |
| If you set out five plants for each person in your | |
| family, you should have enough to eat all summer and early fall. Plus, you should have enough | |
| to be able to can tomatoes for meals next winter | |
| and spring. That would be 25 plants for a family of | |
| five. | |
| A wire cage is one of the easiest ways | |
| to keep the plant off the ground, | |
| which results in better quality fruit. | |
| (Photo: Matt Barton, UK CES Agriculture | |
| Communications) | |
| Tomatoes can be supported by a | |
| stake, but you will need to loosely tie | |
| the plant around the stake as it grows | |
| taller. | |
| (Photo: Matt Barton, UK CES Agriculture | |
| Communications) | |
| Several tomatoes in a row can be | |
| supported by a trellis. There are many | |
| different options to create a trellis. | |
| Even using a wire fence is an option. | |
| Plants will need to be loosely tied to | |
| the trellis. | |
| When and how to plant | |
| Tomatoes are a warm-weather crop. They should | |
| not be planted until all danger of frosty weather is | |
| past. Safe days for planting in Kentucky are about | |
| May 1st (Western) and May 15th (Central and Eastern). Try to plant the tomatoes in the evening or on | |
| a cloudy day so they will not dry out. | |
| It is best to buy tomato plants ready to set in | |
| the garden in early May. You can try starting | |
| tomato seeds indoors in mid-March, but you will | |
| need a very bright window for plants to do well. | |
| • Plant tomatoes in rows about four feet apart. | |
| Put plants 18 to 24 inches apart in the row. Dig | |
| a hole six inches deep for each tomato plant. | |
| • Stake the plants. Put a six-foot stake about four | |
| inches from each plant. Drive the stake 8 to 10 | |
| inches deep into the soil. | |
| • Prune and tie the plants. As the plant grows, | |
| new shoots start where the leaves join the stem. | |
| Let the first shoot grow into a second main | |
| stem. Each week pinch off all other shoots | |
| Cherokee Purple | |
| (Photo: Johnny’s Selected | |
| Seeds, johnnyseeds.com) | |
| 3 | |
| Pests and | |
| diseases | |
| Tomatoes are susceptible to pests and | |
| diseases throughout the | |
| season. Protect young | |
| plants from cutworms | |
| by placing a cardboard | |
| tube around the base of | |
| the plant. Hornworms | |
| will eat both leaves and | |
| fruit and can be taken off by hand or by cutting | |
| away the foliage they are feeding on. They can be | |
| squashed under foot or disposed of in the trash. | |
| Corn earwoms feed on fruit and may burrow | |
| inside. Pull the worms off or use a pesticide. | |
| As tomato plants mature, portions of the plant need to be | |
| removed, which improves fruit quality and yield. The arrow | |
| in the photo is pointing at what is called a “sucker,” or side | |
| shoot, which needs to be removed. Otherwise, the plants | |
| will produce more leaves and less fruit. | |
| (Photo: Matt Barton, UK CES Agriculture Communications) | |
| A cutworm eating the | |
| stem of a plant. | |
| (Photo: R.J. Reynolds | |
| Tobacco Company Slide | |
| Set, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco | |
| Company, Bugwood.org) | |
| Tomato | |
| hornworms | |
| eat the leaves | |
| and stems of | |
| tomato plants. | |
| This reduces | |
| the amount of | |
| tomato fruit | |
| that is produced. | |
| (Photo: Fox & Hen | |
| Farm, LLC) | |
| There is a beneficial wasp that | |
| lays eggs in the | |
| body of tomato | |
| hornworms. | |
| Worms that have | |
| been affected | |
| by this will have | |
| white cocoonlike structures | |
| on their back. | |
| This is good | |
| for hornworm | |
| management. | |
| Do not remove | |
| hornworms that | |
| show signs of this | |
| wasp. | |
| (Photo: Fox & Hen | |
| Farm, LLC) | |
| growing on the two main stems, but be careful | |
| not to remove flower clusters close by. When | |
| the plant reaches 12 to 15 inches high, tie it | |
| to the stake. Use a heavy twine. Tie the twine | |
| tightly to the stake and then loop it around the | |
| plant. Each time the plant grows another 12 | |
| inches, add a tie. | |
| • Fertilize in summer. Once tomato fruit has | |
| reached a large size (about two weeks before the | |
| first harvest), scatter some urea fertilizer along | |
| sides of each row. Use only four to five tablespoons full per 10 feet of row. Add the same | |
| amount of fertilizer two to three weeks after | |
| first harvest. You may switch the urea fertilizer | |
| with a water-soluble fertilizer, which is dissolved in water and poured around the plants. | |
| Follow the advice from the label when preparing and applying water-soluble fertilizer. | |
| 4 | |
| Corn earworms will feed on the surface of the tomato fruit | |
| and may also tunnel into the fruit. | |
| (Photo: Alton N. Sparks, Jr., University of Georgia, Bugwood.org) | |
| Tomato blossom end rot is often caused by high temperatures and low soil moisture. Be sure to water your plants | |
| regularly. You may also put a light layer of straw around the | |
| base of the plants to help keep soil moist. | |
| (Photo: Brenda Kennedy, University of Kentucky, Bugwood.org) | |
| Blossom end rot may be prevented by keeping | |
| even soil moisture during the growing season. A | |
| mulch of straw or leaves may help. Move tomatoes | |
| to a new part of the garden every few years. This | |
| will lessen soil-based disease problems. | |
| Tomato plants may be very attractive to bees | |
| and other pollinators. Do not apply pesticides | |
| when pollinators are present. For more information on managing pests and diseases, contact your | |
| county Extension agent or consult the UK Cooperative Extension publication Growing Vegetables | |
| at Home in Kentucky (ID-128) at www2.ca.uky.edu/ | |
| agcomm/pubs/id/id128/id128.pdf. | |
| Harvesting | |
| Tomatoes can be picked from the vine when | |
| they first start to ripen. They will fully ripen indoors. Waiting until the tomatoes are fully colored on the vine does not make them taste better. | |
| Birds and rodents may be drawn to the bright | |
| color. Before the first frost, pick off all tomatoes, | |
| even the green ones that are the right size. Wrap | |
| them in newspaper, place in a box, and store in | |
| a cool place indoors. Check tomatoes every few | |
| days and move the ripened ones to a warmer, lit | |
| area. This method may result in “fresh” tomatoes | |
| for four to six weeks, but the flavor may lessen | |
| with time. Lastly, green tomatoes are edible. If | |
| you wish to eat green tomatoes, harvest when | |
| tomatoes are full size but before any red color is | |
| present. | |
| Clean Up | |
| Pull plants out of the ground after frost kills | |
| them and throw them away or place them on a | |
| compost pile. | |
| Many people think tomatoes are one of the best things | |
| about growing a home garden. Pick them when they first | |
| start to ripen and let them ripen fully inside. | |
| (Photo: Fox & Hen Farm, LLC) | |
| 5 | |
| Serving | |
| Tomatoes are rich in nutrients that promote | |
| good health, including fiber and vitamins A and | |
| C. A medium tomato contains about 25 calories, | |
| 20 mg sodium, and is a good source of potassium. | |
| Tomatoes can be eaten raw or cooked. | |
| Storing | |
| Store ripe tomatoes at room temperature and | |
| use them within three days. Keep out of direct | |
| sunlight. Place green tomatoes in a paper bag to | |
| ripen. Tomatoes will store longer when refrigerated but may lose quality. | |
| Preserve your garden’s harvest by home canning tomatoes and tomato products. This can | |
| help save money and gain control over what is in | |
| your food. When canning, do not use tomatoes | |
| Serve tomatoes raw or cooked. | |
| (Photo: Fox & Hen Farm, LLC) | |
| that are overripe or beginning to spoil. To ensure | |
| safe, high-quality home-canned products, always | |
| follow research-based recommendations when | |
| canning. For more information on home canning | |
| tomatoes, please refer to University of Kentucky | |
| Cooperative Extension publication Home Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products (FCS3-580) at | |
| http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/FCS3/ | |
| FCS3580/FCS3580.pdf or contact your county | |
| Extension agent. | |
| Canning is a good way to preserve tomatoes for future use. | |
| (Photo: Fox & Hen Farm, LLC) | |
| Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, | |
| national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or | |
| physical or mental disability. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Nancy | |
| M. Cox, Director of Cooperative Extension Programs, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Lexington, and Kentucky State University, Frankfort. | |
| Copyright © 2020 for materials developed by University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. This publication may be reproduced in portions or its entirety for educational or non- profit purposes only. Permitted users shall give credit to the author(s) and include this copyright notice. Publications are also available on the World Wide Web at www.ca.uky.edu. | |
| 8-2020 | |
| Cooperative Extension Services | Agriculture and Natural Resources | Family and Consumer Sciences | 4-H Youth Development | Community and Economic Development | |
| Authors: | |
| Rachel Rudolph, Extension Vegetable Specialist, | |
| and Rick Durham, Extension Consumer | |
| Horticulture Specialist | |
| Contributions by: | |
| Matt Barton, Agriculture Communication | |
| Specialist, Jann Knappage, Food System Specialist, | |
| and Katie Shoultz, Marketing and Media | |
| Specialist" | |
| "Pack D Notes 7 16/12/2020 1 of 10 | |
| Growing food at home series | |
| Growing tomatoes | |
| Pack D Notes 7 | |
| Types of tomatoes | |
| There are many different types of tomatoes to choose from and a great variety in the fruits they | |
| produce; some are better for cooking others best straight from bush to salad or sandwich. Home | |
| gardeners can grow varieties that are not commonly available in the grocery stores as they have | |
| limited storage ability even though their flavor maybe excellent. | |
| Select varieties for the use you prefer. | |
| There are four broad shape classifications for tomatoes: | |
| Globe tomatoes: the most heavily commercially-cultivated fruit are large and round good for eating raw | |
| or cooking e.g. mande | |
| Beefsteak tomatoes: biggest fruit used for sandwiches e.g. brandywine, mortgage lifter, grosse lisse | |
| Plum/Paste tomatoes: small oval thick-walled fruit used to make sauces .e.g. romas, amish paste | |
| Cherry tomatoes: smallest fruit good for snacks and salads e.g. tommy toe, black cherry | |
| Growing habit (shapes) | |
| The plants themselves grow in different shapes and heights; some require | |
| staking or can be let ramble, whilst others are smaller and bushier. | |
| Taller types e.g. Grosse Lisse, need to be supported by a stake (unless you | |
| want them to ramble and climb - this can make it difficult to keep pests and | |
| away and trim off diseased leaves) are also called indeterminate. These plants | |
| tend to produce fruits all season long with the fruits produced at intervals | |
| along their stems. Space these 80 – 100 cm apart. | |
| Smaller and bushier types e.g. Roma, called determinate and don’t require | |
| staking. They produce their fruits at the end of their branches and tend to bear | |
| most of their fruits all at once for a couple of weeks and then production fades | |
| out. That’s because it eventually forms a flower cluster at the terminal growing | |
| point, which causes it to stop growing in height. Space these 50 – 60 cm apart. | |
| Images: http://squarefoot.creatingforum.com/t3013-tomatoes-determinate-vs-indeterminate | |
| Growing tomatoes | |
| Pack D Notes 7 16/12/2020 2 of 10 | |
| Tomatoes may take 4-5 months until harvest, so some consideration of which varieties suit your interests | |
| and capacity needs to be taken. Plant at interval for extended crops. | |
| Site selection | |
| They will need at least 6 hours of sunlight, preferably morning sun and shelter | |
| from strong winds and western sun after 3pm. Orient your beds to maximise | |
| sunlight. In extreme heat periods- 35° to 40°, they will need to be shaded. | |
| Because of potential diseases that stay in the soil, plant in a section of the vegetable patch where | |
| tomatoes have not been grown for 2-3 years. | |
| Preparing the soil | |
| Tomatoes prefer a pH range of 5.5 – 7. The clays soils feature in most of the suburbs of City of | |
| Salisbury are alkaline. Test your soil with a pH testing kit these are readily available at garden | |
| stores. If the soil pH is too alkaline add Agricultural Sulphur at the recommended rates, and if too | |
| acid, use lime as per instructions on the packet. | |
| Tomatoes are heavy feeders that need rich, well-draining soil. Deal with drainage first, if you have | |
| clay soils add 60% or more of course builders to make it crumbly, or gypsum at a rate of a 9 litre | |
| bucket per 1 metre square. Then build up the nutrients in garden beds. We have found preparing | |
| the soil early, at least 6-8 weeks before planting, maybe the end of July for late September | |
| planting, advantageous. Too much nitrogen will give you big plants with little fruit, so make sure | |
| the any manures you add are well rotted, and check the nitrogen component of any other | |
| fertiliser is relatively low. Build the soil for feeding the plant when it is larger by mixing in the bed: | |
| Organic matter including compost, gypsum (for calcium), pelletised chicken manure (Yate’s | |
| “Dynamic Lifter” or Neutrog’s “Gygantic” or “Sudden Impact for Roses”) or well- rotted manure - | |
| sheep or cow,blood and bone, and Sulphate of Potash | |
| Water in and let sit until the weather is better and soil warmer for planting. Check the moisture | |
| levels if there is no rain you may need to water to keep the soil moist and the microorganism in the | |
| soil active | |
| Lyn’s preferred soil preparation: | |
| Start in winter about 6-8 weeks before planting. Lightly turn the soil, and make sure its moist | |
| Pelletised chicken manure- 2 good handful of per square metre | |
| Blood and bone- 1 good handful per square metre | |
| Seamungus - 2 good handful per square metre | |
| Sulphate of potash-1 small handful per square metre | |
| Egg shells pulverised- scatter ½ handful per square metre | |
| Turn over lightly and water | |
| Repeat at 2 week intervals but don’t add any manure later than 4 weeks before planting. | |
| When planting add a small amount of Sulphate of Potash, and throughout growing season when they | |
| flower to help set fruit | |
| Growing tomatoes | |
| Pack D Notes 7 16/12/2020 3 of 10 | |
| Selecting healthy seedling | |
| Select healthy young seedlings for planting. A healthy seedling is upright with a strong stem, not | |
| spindly, has lush green leaves not any yellow leaves or ones with spots on them and has some new | |
| growth. A few roots coming out of the holes in the bottom of the pot means its roots are | |
| established, too many roots coming through come may mean it is pot bound and not worth | |
| purchasing. Mildly pot bound where the roots are occupying the container is fine, and should help | |
| the plants establish flowers early. Add pinch of potash to the seedlings will help them flower too, | |
| which helps them get off to producing fruit early, not foliage. | |
| Before planting remove side shoots and suckers from the lower part of the stem and plant them | |
| deep (7.5-10cm) with only the last two leaves just above the ground. This will encourage strong | |
| root growth as roots will develop along the buried stem. | |
| Remove side shoots and plant deep to | |
| encourage strong root development | |
| Staking and supports | |
| Plan how you are going to grow your tomatoes and put their supports in when planting | |
| Imageshttp://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/5157/how-to-support-tomatoes | |
| Staking should be done before planting with consideration as | |
| to how you are going to prune as this will determine your | |
| staking requirements. Staking is important as the weight of | |
| fruit can cause the stems to strain and possibly split which | |
| allow access to diseases. You can use 1 stake per plant, one | |
| on each side, three for a triangle. Trellis can be made fence, | |
| wire; anything that will provide support to the plant will do, | |
| although metal can heat up in the sun and burn tomato | |
| leaves. Tree tomatoes and vigorous varieties e.g. Grosse Lisse and Sweet Bite need staking. | |
| Growing tomatoes | |
| Pack D Notes 7 16/12/2020 4 of 10 | |
| Note: Reduce disease by using only clean and sterlised materials | |
| Clean and sterilize stakes by soaking them in diluted bleach at the end of the season to prevent | |
| transferring soil borne diseases. | |
| Use soft material as ties such as stocking, old tee shirts ripped into strips or plant tie ribbon; | |
| anything with some give in it. String will quickly cut into a stem on a windy day so avoid. | |
| Planting | |
| In Adelaide planting out when the soil temperature is | |
| warm; in spring is the best time. But the overnight | |
| temperatures can still be low then so late spring may be | |
| better. Harden the seedling up before you plant them by | |
| leaving them in the same conditions that they will be | |
| growing in for a few hours over a few days prior to | |
| planting. | |
| Plant tomatoes when the soil temperature is in the 15-20°C range - the preferred growing | |
| temperature, which is around late October to mid November. It’s best to plant when the | |
| night time temperatures are about 15°C. When planting, ensure that the temperatures on | |
| the following days are not going to be too hot | |
| Space plants, still in containers, on the raised mound between trenches. Spacing depends | |
| on growing habit they need to be a reasonable distance apart to allow space to grow, | |
| access soil nutrition and have plenty of air around them | |
| Position stakes before planting to prevent root damage. Taller growers will be easier to | |
| harvest and take up less space if grown up a wire frames, tee-pee like sticks, stakes or | |
| trellis. | |
| Place 1tsp of blood and bone either side of the plant | |
| Water in seedlings with a diluted seaweed extract 1:10 ratio | |
| Tip: Growing tomatoes in trenches is useful to channel water and fertiliser to plant roots. It’s also | |
| beneficial to prevent fungal infections which are easily spread by watering on their leaves. | |
| Dig the trench, and fertilise as you would for growing in normal beds | |
| Plastic tube attached to stakes or on the ground around plant roots left over night on cold nights can keep | |
| the soil temperature warmer and keep plant growth more consistent in spring. | |
| Growing tomatoes | |
| Pack D Notes 7 16/12/2020 5 of 10 | |
| Watering | |
| Tomato plants require regular to establish good growth and fruit set. Stress due to lack of water | |
| will reduce the quality and yield, and ultimately shorten the life of the plant. The soil type and | |
| rainfall will determine how frequently you need to water; clay soils hold water and will need to be | |
| watered less frequently than sandy soils. Soil around the roots needs to be always moist. | |
| During the growing period if rain has not been regular you will need to water. Train the | |
| roots to go deep by a slow deep soak once a week. During extreme heat period you may | |
| need to water every 2 or 3 days depending on the conditions. Check first | |
| Check the soil to determine whether to water or not by sticking your finger in the soil. If it | |
| is damp, do not water. If there is no moisture at all, then water | |
| Creating trenches to water in can help channel water to reach the roots | |
| Do NOT overhead water as this will encourage fungal or bacterial diseases | |
| Feeding | |
| With good soil preparation the plants should be fine to grow for | |
| a while before applying the first lot of fertiliser. | |
| Hold back from fertilising until the first flowers appear, and then sprinkle sulphate of | |
| potash (3 tablespoon and water in, repeat each month during growing season) around the | |
| base of each plant to encourage the flowers set into fruit. | |
| We add 1 teaspoon of granule sulphate of potash and water it in at the 1st flowers and 1st | |
| fruiting and continue as new flowers and fruit develop. | |
| Nitrogen is good for initial leaf growth, but if too much is used it will prevent good fruit set. | |
| A fertiliser higher in potash commonly called ‘for fruiting and flowering’ such as Neutrog’s | |
| “Gyganic” or “Sudden Impact for Roses” is better as it encourages flowering and fruiting. | |
| Or use pelletised chicken manure or compost and sulphate of potash as described above. | |
| Over the life of the plant it should be fed at least 2 or 3 times to ensure adequate growth | |
| and development. Look at the leaves of the plant, if they are yellowing or fading, or if the | |
| tips are black or purple the plant needs fertilising. Place fertiliser in the trench. Plants that | |
| are overfed are very lush green and soft and are susceptible to wind and insect damage. | |
| Plants lacking in calcium (often due to inadequate watering or too much nitrogen) are | |
| susceptible to getting blossom end rot. Many of the liquid tomato foods (like Phostragen) | |
| contain added calcium. The calcium needs to be added before planting – it’s too late if the | |
| problem occurs. | |
| Consider liquid fertilising approximately once every three weeks. Fish emulsion/Seaweed | |
| extracts gives them a good boost. Feed them early in the morning 7 am, not in the heat of | |
| the day. | |
| Growing tomatoes | |
| Pack D Notes 7 16/12/2020 6 of 10 | |
| Img:http://forums.gardenweb.com/ | |
| discussions/1887577/container-tomatoes | |
| Pruning | |
| Reasons to prune are based on reducing fungal infections and directing | |
| the growth of the plant so that it is easy to harvest and manage. To | |
| reduce fungal infections increase the airflow by clearing away the leaves | |
| from the base of the plant. | |
| Heavy pruning is usually unnecessary, and can reduce growth and yields. | |
| Be aware that too much pruning can lead to scalded fruit in hot spells, | |
| so you may need to provide shade during very hot weather. | |
| Pruning from the soil up to about 12"" or 25 cm | |
| so that no leaves are touching the ground will | |
| avoid disease transmitting from the soil to the | |
| plant | |
| The taller growing indeterminate types can be influenced in how they grow by pruning and | |
| pinching them out. Do think about how you are going to grow these varieties and place | |
| stakes and trellising supports early for their eventual shape. Pinch off the soft shoots (apart | |
| from the tip shoots) that grow from the leaf junctions | |
| If you wanted to grow a tall plant up a pergola pole you may only want the one main leader | |
| (the main leader is at the top of the plant). The second strongest leader is the next one, | |
| below the first flower truss. The less leaders the slightly bigger your fruit may get | |
| Side shoots | |
| The side-shoot or suckers are new growths | |
| between the stem and the shade leaf. Don’t | |
| remove the shade leaves, as they protect the | |
| plant. Pinch the side-shoot out if it is only a | |
| couple of cms in size. If it is bigger, cut it off | |
| with a scalpel type knife so as not too open up a | |
| messy wound which could become a disease | |
| entry point. Prune side shooting laterals and | |
| lower shooting stems as the plants grow. This | |
| will need to be done nearly daily once your | |
| plants take off! | |
| The determinate varieties (often busher, shorter growing varieties) don’t need any pinching – ever | |
| as their growth structure is already determined. | |
| Growing tomatoes | |
| Pack D Notes 7 16/12/2020 7 of 10 | |
| Shelter in extreme heat | |
| Tomatoes can become sunburnt when they are exposed in extreme heat | |
| and it ruins the fruit. The burnt section appears as a white to greyish | |
| sunken area on the skin of the fruits. To prevent this train the plant and | |
| manage pests and diseases to ensure good foliage cover, and shade them in | |
| hot weather. The late afternoon sun is most damaging. In extreme heat (38 | |
| C+), use 50/50 shade cloth. Make sure the shade cloth does not touch the | |
| plant, nor can be blown into it on windy days as this will damage the leaves. | |
| Also, ensure enough air flow and access. | |
| Mulching | |
| As the weather becomes hotter increasing apply a mulch of straw, pea straw around. According to | |
| Peter Cundall, if you spread a thick mulch of straw enriched with rotted sheep or cow manure | |
| around each plant, pressing it against the lower stems and watered in, it will not only keep the | |
| soils moist and temperature lower, it also will stimulate new root growth into the decomposing | |
| straw mix and result in bigger yields. | |
| Harvesting | |
| For the best flavour, ripe fruit is best so leave it on the bush until ready to use where possible. | |
| Semi-ripe fruit can be harvested and will ripen (but not in the refrigerator). | |
| Tomatoes are better NOT stored in the fridge. | |
| Selecting different varieties to grow will extend your harvest season. | |
| If you leave fruit on the bush and don’t water enough, heavy rain can cause the fruit to split. | |
| Pest and disease control | |
| Tomatoes are prone to suffering from a vast array of pest and disease. Early intervention is | |
| important to prevent them from spreading. Continually check for pest and diseases and treat | |
| accordingly. Good gardening hygiene measures to help prevent the spread of diseases. | |
| We apply a regular dusting of tomato dust on the leaves to control caterpillars being careful not to dust the | |
| flowers as this can kill bees. Also sprinkle a light dusting to the soil around the stem, prune the lower leaves | |
| so none contact the soil to prevent fungal infections from the soil. Maintaining good airflow through the | |
| plants, and never overhead water will also prevent fungal infections. | |
| A diseased plant can still keep on producing if you cut off and dispose of the diseased leaves (put | |
| them in the green bin, not your home compost). We remove diseased leaves weekly. Don’t | |
| compost infected plants and fruit. Insects can be controlled by sticky traps | |
| The list of pest and diseases is long and an internet search or consulting a few books from the | |
| library will be informative. Common diseases and pest include: | |
| Growing tomatoes | |
| Pack D Notes 7 16/12/2020 8 of 10 | |
| Pest and disease control continued | |
| Tomato russet mite. | |
| Usually after the first period of hot weather it can wipe out previously | |
| healthy plants. Leaves become dull brown and papery, dying from the | |
| bottom up, which exposes fruit to sunburn. | |
| They live on back of leaves are about .25mm, cream, and toredo shaped. | |
| They love dry. dusty conditions s apply some mulch to the soil. Squirt off | |
| with water in morning. If severe in early morning spray with Wettable sulphur rate of 1teaspoon spray per | |
| litre onto front and back for leaves, or miticide or horticultural oil (which you can’t use in hot weather), or | |
| insecticide soap spray such as natrasoap. | |
| Nematode | |
| Root nematode will cause plants wilt. To control drench soil with 1lt | |
| molasses mixed in 4L of water over 3 m square. Look for swelling on the | |
| roots of a dead plant to confirm. | |
| Bacterial Wilt | |
| Plants will wilt and there is no cure. To test slice s stem lengthwise if the | |
| centre is white it is OK, if it’s brown then its infected. | |
| Fungal problems | |
| Prevent by practicing crop rotation, pruning to reduce air flow; water the base of the plant not the foliage. | |
| Only water when plant needs as over watering increases fungal problems. | |
| Blossom end rot | |
| Fruit goes rotten on the bottom where flower was caused by lack of | |
| calcium. Irregular watering can also cause- water as plants need and | |
| prevent water stress. | |
| Fruit Split | |
| Caused by excessive water. If heavy rainfall is forecast you may wish to pick crop early. | |
| Sunburn | |
| White patches on the upper surfaces. Use shades and be careful not | |
| to prune off all the leaves! | |
| Aphids – tomato dust and spray | |
| Growing tomatoes | |
| Pack D Notes 7 16/12/2020 9 of 10 | |
| Growing tomatoes in pots | |
| Pots | |
| Choose pots with good drainage holes. They should have them on the side, | |
| and on the bottom. Many terracotta pots have only one hole, flush to the | |
| ground. These pots should be at least raised slightly, raising the hole off the | |
| ground. The size of pot depends on the variety. Tall growers need large | |
| tubs. Smaller sized tomatoes e.g. Floriana’s San Marzano can go in much | |
| smaller pots (as small as 25cm diameter. If you go too small, the plant will | |
| forever dry out. | |
| Deep saucers are extremely handy, particularly if you go away for a few days. They also save | |
| water. The trick is to let the plant use all the water, rather than continually topping them up, | |
| which can give the plants ‘wet feet’ (lack of oxygen to roots, often resulting in poor growth). | |
| Soils | |
| Garden soil in pots can also cause ‘wet feet’. The fine granules in garden soil are so small, that | |
| they compact down in the pot causing poor drainage. A good potting mix has both large and small | |
| chunks of pine-bark, allowing more air around the roots. Like most things in life, you pay for what | |
| you get – expect poor performance from a $3.00 potting mix and $10.00 plus for a top of the line | |
| with all the extras. No other fertilisers or manures should need to be added initially. | |
| Staking | |
| Staking is something to think about now. The more support, the better. Some of the bush types, | |
| like Tumbler or San Marzano, can simply be left to cascade over the pot. Taller growers will | |
| appreciate wire frames, tee-pee like sticks, stakes, or by growing the pot near a fence or verandah | |
| pole. | |
| Plants in pots may need to be fed more often. Look at the leaves of the plant. If they are yellowing | |
| or fading, or if the tips are black or purple, then the plants are hungry. They have that hard look. | |
| They are lacking in nutrients and will gradually become weaker. An overfed plant is very lush green | |
| and soft – this plant would be susceptible to wind and insect damage. | |
| Watering | |
| Check the soil regularly and don’t let it dry out. Don’t water a small amount, instead when the soil | |
| is dry water enough so that the water drains through the bottom holes and then repeat to | |
| saturate the soil. Tomatoes don’t like ’wet feet’ so we don’t recommend placing saucers under the | |
| bottom of the pots as the lack of oxygen to roots, often resulting in poor growth. | |
| Growing tomatoes | |
| Pack D Notes 7 16/12/2020 10 of 10 | |
| Growing tomatoes from seed | |
| If are collecting you own seed makes sure you are using non-hybrid seeds. | |
| Sow them in late July and keep seedlings in a warm spot, a window sill is good but move | |
| them away during the cold nights. The ideal soil temperature is 25◦C | |
| Containers - jiffy pots, plastic punnets, paper cups, milk cartons (cut in half). All containers | |
| must have drainage holes | |
| Fill containers with seed raising mix or good potting soil and cover seeds with coir, leaving | |
| about 1cm from top for watering. Do NOT use regular potting mix or garden soil | |
| Plant 1-3 seeds in each pot | |
| Water with fine spray, cover with cut-off plastic bottles. No NOT over water | |
| When the young seedling emerge make sure they are in a bright light spot otherwise they | |
| will be ‘leggy’ | |
| When seedlings are about 3-5 cm high and have developed the second pair of leaves, | |
| transplant to a pot. Add a pinch of sulphate of potash | |
| Plants need to be hardened up by putting the pots out into a similar position to where they | |
| will be growing during the day, but taken back to their previous situation at night before | |
| planting out into beds | |
| Mulch the bed well, keeping the mulch away from the stem | |
| Tomato plants do not like cigarette smoke so smokers need very clean hands before | |
| touching plants | |
| Basil is a good companion plant for tomatoes | |
| Over-watering may cause weak seedling | |
| Complied by | |
| David Clayton, Shannan Davis, Lyn Hancock and Leslie Wightman | |
| for Grow Your Own Food Workshops, August 2015 | |
| updated By Shannan Davis, October 2020 | |
| http://www.graphicgardener.com/gardenblog/2011/03/t | |
| omatoes-seeds-and/" | |
| "TOMATO PLANTING GUIDE | |
| Kenya Highland Seed Company LTD has an outstanding portfolio of selected | |
| determinate (Open Pollinated Varieties and Hybrid tomato varieties) that are | |
| segmented to perform well across different regions. Our Indeterminate varieties | |
| have the ability to perform well in the open field and under greenhouse units. | |
| Nursery Establishment | |
| o The plot should be well prepared by digging and mixing the soil with well | |
| decomposed farmyard manure. | |
| o Poultry manure is not advisable to be used at the nursery level due to high | |
| nitrogen levels that inhibit proper seedling establishment. | |
| o Drench the nursery bed with an insecticide and fungicide to prevent early | |
| attacks from soil borne pests and any fungal disease. | |
| o For ease of nursery management practices such as weeding and irrigation, | |
| ensure the nursery bed is 1m wide and of a conventional length. | |
| o Make shallow drills of 2cm - 3cm depth at a spacing of 10cm – 20cm apart. | |
| Thinly sow the seeds and cover them lightly using soil or well decomposed | |
| and fine farmyard manure. | |
| o Irrigate the nursery bed frequently in the morning hours maintaining damp and | |
| not wet conditions. | |
| o Seedlings are ready for transplanting in 3-4weeks time. Allow some extra | |
| days for seedlings to harden. This ensures reduced transplanting shock. | |
| o Alternatively, the seeds can be sowed using seeding trays with appropriate | |
| propagation media such as Peat moss and Cocopeat. | |
| LAND PREPARATION | |
| o Tomatoes require well – drained deep fertile soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 for | |
| optimal growth. However, most of the soils in Kenya are nutrient poor which in | |
| turn makes it difficult for farmers to achieve good yields. | |
| o It is advisable for farmers to implement good soil management practices such | |
| as crop rotation and fertilizer application as per the recommendations from a | |
| soil test analysis. | |
| TRANSPLANTING | |
| o Tomato seedlings are ready for transplanting 3-4weeks from sowing. The | |
| nursery bed should be watered for ease uprooting the seedlings and | |
| transplanting in the evening hours to minimize risk of transplanting shock that | |
| arises from excessive evapotranspiration leading to permanent wilting which in | |
| turn makes the young seedlings dry up. | |
| o Spacing depends on the variety grown and irrigation system used. For | |
| determinate (bush varieties) 60cm by 60cm or 75cm by 75cm is recommended | |
| and indeterminate varieties 60cm by 45cm. | |
| o Furrow irrigation is an effective way for minimizing risks brought about by | |
| fungal diseases such as early blight. On the other hand, drip irrigation is | |
| efficient in water utilization. | |
| o Overhead irrigation is not recommended to Solanaceous crops as this | |
| encourages spread of fungal diseases due to leaf wetness in which the | |
| pathogen spores landing on the host plant, an irrigation event allows the | |
| infection process to begin. As the disease progresses, overhead irrigation can | |
| splash the pathogens (spores) from infected plants to healthy plants leading to | |
| further disease spread. | |
| NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENT | |
| o During transplanting, it is important to have the planting holes mixed with well | |
| decomposed manure and a basal fertilizer rich in Phosphorous for proper root | |
| development such as D.A.P or N.P.K. | |
| o Top dressing should be carried out 3weeks after transplanting with a basal | |
| fertilizer rich in Nitrogen and a second application carried out 2-3weeks from | |
| the first top-dress. | |
| o At the onset of flowering, top dress using a balanced N.P.K and repeat after | |
| harvesting to replenish nutrients lost through the harvesting process. | |
| o Foliar fertilizers can be applied to substitute basal fertilizers applied especially | |
| during periods of high stress such as hot periods that can hinder nutrient | |
| uptake such as Calcium. | |
| TOMATO SUPPORT SYSTEM | |
| o Staking tomatoes should be done when the plants are still young to avoid | |
| stem damage by breaking which can in turn act as a secondary entry point of | |
| pathogens. | |
| o It is not advisable to prune determinate (bush) varieties as this side shoots | |
| contribute to the overall yield by holding more fruits. | |
| o Indeterminate varieties are pruned and this involves removal of extra flowers, | |
| side shoots and diseased leaves. | |
| o Under good agronomic practices, determinate varieties can be harvested for a | |
| period of up to 3months while indeterminate varieties can be harvested for a | |
| period of over 6months. " | |
| " COMPREHENSIVE TOMATO FARMING GUIDE | |
| 2 | P a g e | |
| Introduction | |
| In the recent past demand for tomatoes in the region has increased tremendously. This demand can | |
| only be met by increasing production area and yield. Better production methods, high-yielding and | |
| disease-resistant varieties will play a key role keeping up with the market demand. | |
| Growing requirements | |
| Tomatoes thrive in well-drained, deep, uniform clay or silty loams. They are very sensitive to water | |
| logged soils and prefer a soil pH of between 6.0 -7.5. They do best in temperatures of between 20°C | |
| – 27°C. Tomato production can be adversely affected when the temperatures get below 10°C or | |
| exceed 30°C, as fruit setting is affected. When choosing the field ensure tomatoes or a related crop | |
| (Solanaceous family) has not been planted in the field for at least 2 years to avoid high diseases | |
| presence in the soil. | |
| Choosing a variety | |
| The various tomato varieties that are available possess different benefits which include high yields, | |
| resistance to diseases and long shelf-life. It is up to growers to choose those that will meet needs and | |
| are also suited to climate where they are to be grown. No single variety will combine all the best | |
| features. | |
| Common Tomato varieties in Kenya | |
| VARIETY COMPANY OPENDOOR/GREENHOUSE | |
| Assila F1 Monsanto Hybrid Opendoor | |
| Eden F1 Monsanto Hybrid Opendoor | |
| Milele F1 Freshco Hybrid Opendoor | |
| Africa Revolution F1 George Holland Hybrid Opendoor | |
| Rambo F1 Royal seeds Hybrid Opendoor | |
| Kilele F1 Syngenta Hybrid Opendoor | |
| Shanty Improved Amiran Hybrid Opendoor | |
| Star 9065 Stark Ayres Hybrid Opendoor | |
| Commando F1 Continental seeds Hybrid Opendoor | |
| Eva F1 Amiran Greenhouse | |
| Steve F1 Continental seeds Greenhouse | |
| Tylka F1 Syngenta Greenhouse | |
| Anna F1 Monsanto Greenhouse | |
| Corazon F1 Amiran Greenhouse | |
| Bravo F1 Royal seeds Greenhouse | |
| Chonto F1 Royal seeds Greenhouse | |
| Prostar F1 Simlaw seeds Greenhouse | |
| Consider the following when choosing a variety | |
| Resistance to Diseases: Farmers need to select varieties that are resistant to diseases. Varieties that | |
| are resistant to Verticillium wilt (Vd), Fusarium wilt (Fol), Fusarium Crown and Root Rot (Fol) | |
| Nematodes (N), Alternaria solani (As) and Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) | |
| 3 | P a g e | |
| Shelf life: The variety must guarantee that the fruit will remain fresh through the chain and | |
| especially during transportation. | |
| Hybrids: Compared to open pollinated varieties (OPVs), hybrids produce higher yields, uniform | |
| fruits and possess other preferred quality attributes such as disease resistance and pest tolerance. It is | |
| better for the farmer to spend a little more money for Hybrid (F1) seeds but be assured of optimal | |
| production. | |
| Nursery Establishment | |
| Because of the small nature of tomato seeds, the seedlings are first raised in the nursery then | |
| transplanted into the main field. Though some farmers carry out direct planting, it is usually difficult | |
| to maintain planting depth as well as moisture levels, leading to poor germination. In the nurseries | |
| proper care of the seedling is made possible avoiding the harsh environmental conditions that the | |
| seedlings might face if directly seeded. Seed beds also help the farmer ensure that only healthy and | |
| strong seedlings are transplanted; translating to better and uniform plants and high production. | |
| Another plus for nursery beds is that less seeds are used -80-100gms/acre for the Nursery, compared | |
| to 250-500gms/acre for direct seeding. | |
| Location: The nursery should be located in a flat area that is secure and accessible, to allow close | |
| monitoring. It should be established near a source of clean usable water and on well-drained soils. | |
| The area should be exposed to the sun, well-aerated, protected from strong winds and strategically | |
| located to avoid exposure to pests. | |
| Sowing lines: Seeds should be sown at a 1cm depth marked with a finger, with 10-15 cm spacing | |
| between the sowing lines. Keep the nursery well irrigated and free of weeds; loosen soil to allow | |
| water percolation. | |
| Transplanting | |
| Proper field preparation is essential for optimum performance. Recommended spacing for | |
| transplanting is 60cm by 60cm. The seedlings are hardened before transplanting by reducing water | |
| application and directly exposing them to sunlight 6-9 days before transplanting. This is done to | |
| prepare them for the harsh environment they will face in the main field. A good seedling that is | |
| ready for transplanting is usually in its fourth or sixth leaf stage (about 4 weeks old) and is vigorous | |
| and stocky. Thoroughly water the seedlings about 12 hours before transplanting to the field. | |
| Transplanting late in the evening is recommended to allow the seedling longer cooler hours to | |
| increase chances of survival. | |
| Irrigation | |
| Tomatoes must be regularly watered especially during critical periods like flower-setting and growth | |
| of the fruits. Watering should be reduced towards the end of a crop. Excess moisture on the leaves | |
| can lead to diseases especially early blight. | |
| Weed management | |
| Depending on the type of weeds and growth stage of both the weeds and the crop, appropriate | |
| control measures can be adopted. Manual weeding can be done on small fields but use of herbicides | |
| can be considered in extensive farming. | |
| 4 | P a g e | |
| Plant Nutrition | |
| To optimize performance, soil nutrition amendment is necessary. It is a requirement that farmers do | |
| a soil analysis which will serve as a base for coming up with a fertilizer program. Apply farmyard | |
| manure at a rate of 8 tonnes per acre during land preparation to improve soil structure. | |
| A guideline to fertilizer application will include: | |
| • Basal application of Phosphorus during the early stages for root and shoot development. This can | |
| be applied before transplanting. | |
| • Top dressing with Nitrogen based fertilizers such as Urea and CAN for vegetative growth. | |
| • During flowering and fruit formation use of compound fertilizers (NPK) is recommended. Plants | |
| require the three primary nutrients; Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium at various levels; fertilizer | |
| with high K (Potassium) in formulation will give best results. | |
| • Weekly application of foliar feeds (can be mixed with pesticide sprays) can also foster better plant | |
| development. | |
| • Magnesium and Calcium fertilizers can be applied to ensure better fruit development but also when | |
| symptoms of blossom end rot manifest. | |
| Staking and pruning | |
| This is done to reduce excess canopy as well as to get rid of old leaves which contribute to high | |
| moisture accumulation leading to increased disease incidences. This can be done using sticks and | |
| strings to give the plant an upright growth. | |
| Advantages of staking | |
| Increase in the percentage of marketable fruit, easier harvesting and reduced injury to both plants | |
| and fruit in harvesting. A farmer may opt not to stake but it’s highly recommended | |
| Management of pest and diseases | |
| Major tomato pests include white flies, aphids, thrips, and bollworm. Whiteflies are known to | |
| transmit Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus(TYLCV). While major tomato diseases comprise the | |
| blights, wilts and rots. Pest and diseases remain the greatest challenge in Tomato production. | |
| The general principles in pest and disease management include: | |
| Disease prevention | |
| Preventing problems is usually easier than curing them. So, here are ten strategies to help prevent | |
| diseases and other problems: | |
| 1. Although many heirloom varieties have better flavor than newer varieties, they lack disease | |
| resistance. Purchasing disease resistant cultivars can help, but keep in mind that disease resistance | |
| does not mean immunity. Preventive strategies are still important. | |
| 2. Disinfect tools, tomato cages and stakes with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. | |
| 5 | P a g e | |
| 3. Rotate the planting location every three to five years. | |
| 4. Do not plant in cold soils. This weakens plants making them more susceptible to diseases and may | |
| stunt them permanently. | |
| 5. Do not crowd tomatoes. Good air circulation around plants is vital in keeping the foliage dry and | |
| preventing diseases. | |
| 6. Remove lower branches, leaving the stem bare up to the first set of flowers and then mulch (straw | |
| is a good choice). Many fungal diseases are in the soil or in bits of plant material left over from | |
| previous years. When it rains, fungal spores splash up onto the lower leaves, infecting them. The | |
| next time it rains, the spores from the infected leaves splash up onto the next set leaves. Unchecked | |
| the infection will spread all the way to the top of the plant. | |
| 7. Water in the morning to give the foliage time to dry out before nightfall. | |
| 8. Remove any diseased looking leaves as soon as possible. | |
| 9. If a spray program becomes necessary, use a fungicide (such as, chlorothalonil) alternated with a | |
| copper based fungicide to help with bacterial diseases because even an expert can have difficulty | |
| distinguishing between fungal diseases and bacterial diseases. | |
| 10. At the end of every growing season, remove as much of the plant as possible from the garden | |
| and do not compost. | |
| DISEASES | |
| Late blight | |
| Late blight is a very destructive and very infectious disease that affects tomato and potato (not sweet | |
| potato). It is the same disease that led to the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s. It is caused by the | |
| fungal-like pathogen, Phytophthora infestans. It is prevalent during the rainy season and when there | |
| is excess moisture or humidity | |
| What are its symptoms? | |
| Lesions develop on leaves and stems as dark, water-soaked spots. These spots enlarge until the entire | |
| leaf or stem turns brown and dies. Dead leaves typically remain attached to stems. The undersides of | |
| the lesions may be covered with a white fuzzy growth that contains the spores of the pathogen. On | |
| the stems, late blight lesions appear brown to almost black. Infected tomato fruits develop shiny, | |
| 6 | P a g e | |
| dark or olive-colored lesions which may cover large areas and in particular the upper half of the | |
| fruit. | |
| How is it different from other diseases with almost similar symptoms? | |
| When diagnosing for late blight examine all parts of the affected plants thoroughly. The late blight | |
| pathogen produces most of its spores at night and as a result it is more visible in the morning and | |
| these calls for scouting early in the day for the disease. Generally Late blight can affect all parts of | |
| the plant whereas some of the ‘imitators’ cannot. Below are some of the diseases that portray | |
| symptoms most similar to LB and how they differ from the latter: | |
| 1. Gray mold - This is the disease most commonly confused for late blight because the pathogen | |
| causes large leaf spots, stem lesions, and affects fruits. These symptoms are often associated with | |
| dead plant tissue (flowers, leaves). The pathogen typically needs to become established on these | |
| dead tissues before it can attack living plant tissue. Affected fruit are soft and are not brown. The | |
| pathogen growth is fuzzier and gray to brownish, not white as with late blight. | |
| 2. Early Blight - Leaf, stem and fruit spots are all smaller than those for late blight and often have a | |
| characteristic concentric ring pattern or target-shape appearance. | |
| 3. Septoria Leaf Spot - Leaf and stem spots are all much smaller in comparison to those for late | |
| blight and often have a characteristic tan center. Fruits are not affected. | |
| 7 | P a g e | |
| 4. Buckeye Fruit Rot - Fruit turns brown with white spores forming when moist. Unlike late blight, | |
| buckeye fruit rot is most likely on fruit on or near the soil where the pathogen can survive between | |
| crops, the fruit stays firm and smooth (not rough) and leaves and stems are not affected. Causal | |
| pathogens are closely related to late blight, but don’t travel far or fast because their spores move by | |
| splashing water and soil, rather than air. | |
| 5. Drought Stress - When plants’ roots cannot deliver enough water to leaves, large sections of leaf | |
| tissue can die. In contrast with late blight lesions, symptoms of drought stress always extend from | |
| the leaf edge, they lack a border of wilted tissue, and there is no fuzzy pathogen growth. Also, no | |
| symptoms develop on stems or fruit. | |
| What can you do about it? | |
| • Start with disease-free tomato seedlings. | |
| • Scout daily in the morning hours for any symptoms on the crop. | |
| • Rotate tomato fields with non-solanaceous crops. Crop rotation is for the early blight and Septoria | |
| leaf spot diseases which are an annual problem, not late blight. The late blight organism requires | |
| living tissue to survive; it does not survive in the soil or carry in tomato seed. | |
| • Control tomato volunteer plants as well as solanaceous weeds such as hairy nightshade. | |
| • When late blight is found in small, localized areas, promptly destroy all symptomatic plants plus a | |
| border of healthy appearing plants to prevent disease spread. | |
| • Apply late blight specific fungicides in affected fields and nearby fields on a regular basis until | |
| tomato harvest is complete. Shorten spray interval when disease pressure is high or environmental | |
| conditions remain favourable for the late blight pathogen (cool and wet). | |
| • Alternate fungicide applications among different chemical classes; include a contact (protectant) | |
| fungicide in each application (chlorothalonil, mancozeb, or copper). Addition of a protectant | |
| fungicide enhances resistance management and fungicide effectiveness; e.g. copper oxychloride, | |
| Mancozeb+cymoxanil or propineb+cymoxanil or Metalaxyl+Mancozeb | |
| 8 | P a g e | |
| • Good fungicide coverage is necessary. | |
| • Work in affected field last and clean equipment between fields. | |
| • Disk under the field or kill with herbicide after harvest is complete. | |
| Tomato yellow leaf curl | |
| Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is a viral | |
| disease transmitted by whiteflies; it is one of the most | |
| damaging diseases in tomatoes. TYLCV is the most | |
| significant tomato virus in areas where whitefly is a | |
| big problem. The disease incidence is higher | |
| particularly when temperatures are high. Locally, it is | |
| known as: Gathuri or ngumi | |
| Symptoms | |
| • Plants are severely stunted with shoots becoming erect | |
| Leaf symptoms include; | |
| • Small leaves which are cupped, thick and rubbery. Tops of infected plants may look like a head of | |
| broccoli. | |
| • Leaflets are reduced in size and puckered | |
| • Leaflets that develop soon after infection curl downwards at the margins; leaves produced later curl | |
| upwards, become distorted, and have prominent yellowing along margins and/or intervenal regions | |
| • Flowers wither | |
| • Plants will set very few fruit after infection occurs; when older tomato plants are infected, they | |
| produce abnormal growth above the point of infection. Any fruit already on the plant ripens almost | |
| normally, but flowers often drop or fail to set fruit. The appearance of the fruit is unaffected | |
| Conditions for Disease Development | |
| • The virus is not seed-borne. It is only transmitted by the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci | |
| • The whitefly vector has a very wide host range but it usually does not cause symptoms in these | |
| hosts. Most solanaceous plants such as tomato, eggplant, potato, tobacco, and pepper can be infected | |
| with TYLCV but remain healthy in appearance. Common bean is also a host and will sometimes | |
| display leaf curl symptoms when infected. Many common weeds are also host to the virus and may | |
| or may not develop symptoms when infected. | |
| • Hot and dry conditions favor the whitefly, and therefore aid the spread of TYLCV. Whitefly | |
| populations decrease after heavy rain showers. | |
| 9 | P a g e | |
| Management | |
| 1. Use resistant varieties: Hybrid Tomato Assila from Monsanto is resistant to Tomato Yellow Leaf | |
| Curl Virus (TYLCV) | |
| 2. Under stress, however, these resistant varieties can lose their protection and develop symptoms of | |
| tomato yellow leaf curl. As such, it is important to keep plants healthy by proper irrigation and | |
| fertilizer regimes and to keep them free of other pests and diseases. | |
| 3. Grow seedlings in an insect-proof net house or in a greenhouse, and maintain good control of | |
| whiteflies in these structures in order to prevent early infection of seedlings by whitefly feeding. If | |
| non insect-proof nets are used in seedling nurseries, then they should be sprayed with insecticides to | |
| control entry of whitefly into the structures. | |
| 4. The whitefly vector favors younger plants. To reduce this effect, tomato plants should be about 30 | |
| days old at the time of transplanting. | |
| 5. Timing of transplanting can also be effective in avoiding high populations of whitefly and | |
| therefore reducing or high populations of whitefly and therefore reducing or preventing TYLCV | |
| infection. Separate plantings of tomatoes in time and space from plantings of crop hosts which are | |
| good sources of whiteflies (i.e. cabbage, cucurbits, potato) | |
| 6. Avoid overlapping tomato crops that allow the vector to subsist and develop new populations. | |
| Pulling out volunteer tomato and tobacco plants and weed control are also important in reducing | |
| sources of virus inoculums. | |
| 7. Plant new tomato crops in isolated fields. If possible, plant a tall border crop, such as maize, | |
| around the tomato crop. | |
| 8. Chemical control methods include the application of systemic insecticides as soil drenches or | |
| regular sprays during the seedling stage to reduce the population of the whitefly vector. A second | |
| application may be necessary to control adults that have emerged from the egg and nymph stage | |
| since the application of the first spray. Rotation of insecticides may be necessary to prevent the | |
| development of resistance in the vector. However, chemical control may not be effective in areas | |
| where disease incidence is high | |
| 9. Symptomatic plants should immediately be carefully removed, bagged, and discarded to prevent | |
| the spread of whiteflies on them that may be carrying the virus. Cover plant in plastic bag and tie at | |
| the stem at soil line. Cut off the plant below the bag and allow bag with plant and whiteflies to | |
| desiccate to death on the soil surface for 1-2 days prior to placing the plant in the trash. Do not cut | |
| the plant off or pull it out of the garden and toss it on the compost! The goal is to remove the plant | |
| reservoir of virus from the garden and to trap the existing virus-bearing whiteflies so they do not | |
| disperse onto other tomatoes. | |
| Buckeye fruit & root rot | |
| Symptoms On fruit: | |
| Brown spots appear on green and ripe fruit, often at the blossom end. The spots have bands of dark | |
| and light brown rings. A white cottony fungal growth appears under moist conditions. Young green | |
| 10 | P a g e | |
| fruit, when infected, usually become mummified. Fruit touching or near the soil are most likely to | |
| become infected | |
| On Root: | |
| Phytophthora can cause a root and crown rot of tomato plants at all ages. Damping-off symptoms | |
| occur on seedlings while infections of the roots and crowns of young plants cause rapid wilt. On | |
| established plants, brown water-soaked lesions appear on roots, extending into the lower part of the | |
| stem. Severely affected roots become necrotic and decayed. The leaves become bronze and later | |
| dieback from the tip. | |
| On Stem | |
| The canker that develops is pale green to brown and may extend more than 15 cm. The canker | |
| girdles the stem and causes wilting and death | |
| Doses: | |
| 1. Thiophanate methyl | |
| 2. Carbendazim | |
| Alternaria stem canker | |
| It appears on stems, leaves, and fruit .Dark | |
| brown to black cankers with concentric | |
| zonation occur on stems near the soil line or | |
| above ground. Canker enlarge girdle the stem, | |
| and kills the plant. Dark brown to black areas | |
| of dead tissues between leaf veins are caused | |
| by a toxin produced by the fungus. Dark | |
| brown sunken lesions with characteristic | |
| concentric rings develop on green fruit | |
| 11 | P a g e | |
| Doses: | |
| 1. Copper fungicides | |
| 2. Carbendazim | |
| Gray mold | |
| Foliage of plants from seedlings to mature plant | |
| stage is affected. Brown to black specks appear | |
| on both the young and older leaves. The lesions | |
| expand slowly into 1- to 2-mm-diameter round | |
| spots that remain brown or develop a gray center | |
| surrounded by a yellow area. | |
| Early blight (Alternaria solani) | |
| In tomatoes, it causes stem cankers on seedlings and small irregular dark brown spots on the older | |
| leaves leading in partial defoliation of the crop. The fungus survives on the crop debris. Infections | |
| begin as small brown spots on older leaves that quickly enlarge. The lesions develop a ""bulls-eye"" | |
| pattern of concentric rings that can be seen | |
| .Fusarium &verticillum wilt | |
| 12 | P a g e | |
| Both of these fungal diseases are soil-born. Fusarium often causes yellowing on one side of the plant | |
| or leaf. Yellowing begins with the older, bottom leaves, followed by wilting, browning, and | |
| defoliation. Growth is typically stunted, and little or no fruit develops. Brown, vascular tissue can be | |
| found when the infected stem is cut at its base. Infected plants often die before maturing. | |
| Verticillium is less common, usually occurring late in the season when soils are cooler. It begins as a | |
| v-shaped blotch on lower leaves, followed by browning veins and dead, chocolate brown blotches. It | |
| spreads up the plant. Discoloration of the vascular tissue is limited to the bottom 12 inches of the | |
| stem. Look for tomatoes with the resistance letters VF on the plant tag or seed packet, indicating | |
| resistance to both verticillium and fusarium wilt. | |
| Lookalikes: all the leaf spot diseases and “bottom-up” diseases | |
| Bacterial cankers (Clavibacter michiganensis) | |
| The symptoms of bacterial canker are brown leaf margins with a yellow border next to the inner | |
| green leaf tissue, spreading between the veins (top image). It often affects only one side of a plant. | |
| As plants wilt, yellowing leaves usually remain attached to the plant. Unlike the leaves, the petioles | |
| remain green. The vascular system shows a yellowish brown discoloration (bottom image). This is a | |
| serious infectious disease with no cure and no resistant varieties available. It will kill the plant and is | |
| highly infectious, easily spreading to other plants. Infected plants should be removed from the | |
| garden immediately and extensive measures implemented for disinfection. | |
| Lookalikes: other foliar diseases, particularly fusarium wilt, viruses | |
| Bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas solanacearum) | |
| 13 | P a g e | |
| The disease causes wilting of tomatoes and potatoes. In tomatoes it is mainly seed borne. | |
| Control: Control is mainly cultural as: - Strict crop rotation, Removal and burning infected plant | |
| debris & Planting certified seed. | |
| Damping off | |
| Affected plants usually occur in patches in nursery beds or in low parts of sloped fields. In preemergence damping off, the seeds fail to emerge after sowing. They become soft, mushy, turn | |
| brown, and decompose as a consequence of seed infection. In post-emergence damping-off, the | |
| seedling emerges from the soil but dies shortly afterwards. | |
| Septoria leaf spots | |
| Septoria leaf spot usually appears on the lower leaves after the first fruit sets. Spots are circular, | |
| about one-sixteenth to one-fourth inch in diameter with dark brown margins and tan to gray centers | |
| with small black fruiting structures. Characteristically, there are many spots per leaf; they do not | |
| 14 | P a g e | |
| look target-like. This disease spreads upwards from oldest to youngest growth. If leaf lesions are | |
| numerous, the leaves turn slightly yellow, then brown, and then wither. Fruit infection is rare. | |
| Lookalikes: bacterial leaf spot and speck (no tan centers); and other diseases that progress from the | |
| bottom up | |
| Powdery mildew | |
| Leaf symptoms consist of yellow blotches or spots on the upper leaf surface. A white powdery | |
| growth occurs on the underside of the leaves. This fungus penetrates within the leaf tissue. The older | |
| colonies of the fungus may turn a dirty white color with age. The severely affected leaves turn | |
| yellow, then brown, and later become shriveled. Generally, the lower leaves are affected first and the | |
| disease gradually moves up the plant. Vines may become defoliated under severe infections, leading | |
| to lower yields and possible sunburn damage to the fruit. | |
| Bacterial spot and speck | |
| These are two separate but very similar diseases. Symptoms of bacterial spot are small dark brown to | |
| black circular spots, initially water-soaked, coalescing and becoming angular, sometimes with a | |
| yellow halo. | |
| Symptoms of bacterial speck are tiny, dark brown to black spots with a surrounding yellow halo. | |
| Severity of both diseases is increased by wetness of fruit and foliage from sprinklers, rain, or heavy | |
| dew. There are some tomato varieties with resistance to bacterial speck but very few with resistance | |
| to bacterial spot. | |
| 15 | P a g e | |
| Lookalikes: Septoria leaf spot (tan centers) | |
| Anthracnose | |
| DISORDERS | |
| Blossom end rot – not a pathological disease, but mainly physiological | |
| This is caused by calcium deficiency. The early | |
| sign of the disease is a water soaked spot near the | |
| blossom end of the fruit. The surface of the spot | |
| becomes dark and leathery but no soft rot develops | |
| unless bacteria or fungi invade the spot. Other | |
| causes are; Too fast growth during the early stages | |
| followed by sudden drought, excessive nitrogen | |
| and infrequent irrigation. | |
| Gray wall sunscald concentric cracking | |
| Concentric crack Catfacing | |
| 16 | P a g e | |
| Catface Radial cracking | |
| FRUIT ROTS | |
| Gray mold rot Rhizoctonia rot Rhizophus rot | |
| Sour rot Pythium fruit rot | |
| 17 | P a g e | |
| PESTS | |
| Root knot nematodes | |
| These are galls and swellings on the roots causing stunting of the plants and eventual death. | |
| Control: | |
| Good agricultural practices and chemical controls are used. Planting nematode free seedling through | |
| application of Nematicides | |
| Tobacco whitefly | |
| Whiteflies are tiny, soft-bodied insects. They are not true flies. They secrete a white waxy substance | |
| through special glands on their abdomen. The adults coat their bodies, particularly their wings, with | |
| this wax, hence the name “whiteflies.” In their immature stages (nymphs) they also secrete wax in | |
| various forms. | |
| Damage caused by whiteflies | |
| Like aphids, whiteflies have piercing-sucking mouthparts so the damage caused is very similar to | |
| that of aphids. Damage to the crop is usually caused by larvae and adult insects that suck the leaftissue and young fruit secreting sticky undigested sap (honeydew) during feeding. It is documented | |
| that about 2,000 nymphs can be found on a single leaf; each nymph is capable of producing 20 drops | |
| of honey dew in an hour! Sooty moulds grow on the sugary secretions (Cladosporium spp.) hence | |
| reducing the photosynthesis area of the leaves and resulting in stunted growth and poor quality | |
| produce. Heavy infestations cause decline of plant vigor. Stunting, yellowing of foliage and | |
| premature leaf drop are among the symptoms of injury. | |
| Feeding by whiteflies can also cause deformed fruit and discoloration of your tomatoes. | |
| 18 | P a g e | |
| Whitefly adults can also transmit several viruses from diseased to healthy plants including the | |
| destructive Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV). If your plant gets infected with a virus, pull it | |
| out. | |
| Monitoring | |
| Check the undersides of leaves regularly with a hand lens to monitor for both adults and nymphs. | |
| Look for flying whiteflies regularly by knocking tomato leaves. This is an easy way to monitor adult | |
| activity and abundance because they are easily disturbed and will flutter away. Monitoring your | |
| populations, especially during hot dry weather will help you decide if or how to manage whitefly | |
| problems. Generally, tomatoes (and other plants) can tolerate some whiteflies (up to 10-25 nymphs | |
| per leaf) but population explosions (50 and up nymphs per leaf ) can quickly rob you of your | |
| tomatoes | |
| Whitefly Control | |
| Because of the large number of eggs laid by an adult whitefly their population can multiply quickly | |
| within a short period of time. Adults mate within 10 to 20 hours of hatching and live between two | |
| and three weeks. Control is complicated by the nature of the eggs and the pupae which cannot be | |
| killed by contact insecticides as they are covered by waxy substance. | |
| To control whiteflies: | |
| • Use varieties tolerant or resistant to viruses | |
| • Remove Solanaceous plants and weeds which are in the vicinity of the tomato crop. | |
| • Rogue diseased plants and destroy by burning. Ploughing infested crop at night and weed | |
| management can help to bring the population below threshold levels. | |
| • Use of oil sprays (DC-tron) helps discourage spread of whiteflies. | |
| • Practice a good crop rotation program. | |
| • A maize crop ‘guard row’ can be planted around the tomato field to reduce the ability of whiteflies | |
| to reach the crop. | |
| • Adult whiteflies can be controlled by overhead irrigation with soapy water (sodium based soaps) | |
| • At larval stages system growth regulators such Applaud (buprofezin) can be used | |
| • Biological control options. | |
| • Perhaps the most common is the use of whiteflies natural predator Encarsia formosa. This parasitic | |
| wasp attacks the whitefly by depositing an egg within the host body then, after about 10 days, the | |
| parasitized host will turn brown as wasp pupation occurs. After another 10 days the emerging adult | |
| wasp will appear and will, in turn, parasitize more whitefliesand Entomopathogenic fungi such as | |
| Beuaveria bassiana and Verticillium lecanii. | |
| • Effective insecticides for control of whiteflies include Pyrethroids and other contact | |
| insecticides.Imidacloprid, Azadirachtin, Dimethoate, Lambda- Cyhalothrin, Deltamethrin, Acephate, | |
| 19 | P a g e | |
| Pyrethrin and Thiacloprid among others. Farmers MUST adhere to the recommendations on the | |
| product label and observe the Pre-Harvest Intervals as advised on the product label. | |
| Red spider mites | |
| The minute, spider like animals are visible by the naked eye and feed on sap from the underside of | |
| the leaves. They cause speckling and tarnishing of the leaves turning yellowish to whitish. The pest | |
| has wide host range including wild e.g. sodom apple and cultivated plants such as cassava, maize | |
| American boll worm (Heliothes armigera) | |
| The caterpillars bore into fruit and feed on the inner of the fruit releasing plenty of excreta which is | |
| noticeable. | |
| Tuta absoluta | |
| 20 | P a g e | |
| Hornworm | |
| Hornworms are the larval stage (caterpillars) of sphinx moths. They are called hornworms because | |
| of the tell-tale horn or spike on their tail end (top image). These caterpillars have voracious appetites | |
| and can consume entire leaves and small stems in a short time. Hornworm damage is obvious when | |
| the infestation is moderate to heavy because of the large amount of defoliation. Search for the large | |
| caterpillars and the large, black droppings on the leaves or ground beneath the plant. | |
| Hornworms that are not feeding should be left on the tomato plant. They may have been infected | |
| with Bt, an organic pesticide that only attacks caterpillars, or they may have been parasitized | |
| (bottom image). The tiny white cocoons sprouting from the hornworm are the pupal cases of tiny | |
| wasps that have eaten the hornworm from the inside out. If left alone, the adults will emerge and fly | |
| off in search of other caterpillars to parasitize and kill. | |
| SOME COMMON PEST AND DISEASE IN TOMATOES | |
| 21 | P a g e | |
| TABLE OF COMMON PESTS AND DISEASES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT | |
| PEST/DISEASE | |
| PEST | |
| STAGE AFFECTED PART PRODUCTS TO USE | |
| Whiteflies Adults Leaves | |
| Synthetic pyrethroids,chlorpyrifos,dimethoate,thiocyclam | |
| hydrogen oxalate | |
| Larvae Leaves Abamectin,thiacloprid | |
| Leafminer Adults Leaves | |
| imidachloprid,acephate,dimethoate,thiacloprid,azadiracht | |
| in | |
| Larvae Leaves abamectin,spinosad,cyromazine | |
| Tuta absoluta Adults leaves dimethoate,thiocyclam hydrogen oxalate | |
| Larvae leaves,fruits | |
| chlorantraniliprol,abamectin,emamectin | |
| benzoate,flubendiamide | |
| Spidermites All stages Leaves&stems synthetic pyrethroids,abamectin | |
| Aphids Adults Stems,leaves&flowers lambdacyhalothrin,dimethoate | |
| Thrips pupa,adults Flowers&leaves spinosad,lambdacyhalothrin | |
| Caterpillars Larvae Leaves&fruits synthetic pyrethroids | |
| Nematodes All stages Roots Azadirachtin,othoprophos,metamsodium | |
| Late blight leaves&stems | |
| Azoxystrobin,mancozeb,propineb,chlorothanonil,metalax | |
| yl,copper oxychloride | |
| Early blight chlorothalonil,azoxystrobin,mancozeb,metalaxyl | |
| Bacterial wilt Copper oxychloride, copper oxide | |
| Rootrot Fusarium chlorothalonil,metalaxyl | |
| Pythium chlorothalonil,metalaxyl | |
| Rhizoctonia chlorothalonil,metalaxyl | |
| Powdery mildew | |
| Tebuconazole,azoxystrobin,mancozeb,chlorothanonil,met | |
| alaxyl | |
| Downey mildew | |
| Propineb, | |
| chlorothalonil,metalaxyl,azoxystrobin,mancozeb | |
| Bacterial speck Copper oxychloride, copper oxide | |
| Viral infections uproot and control vector | |
| 22 | P a g e | |
| Harvesting and handling tomatoes | |
| Since tomatoes are perishable, proper after-harvest handling is very crucial for maintaining quality | |
| and increasing shelf life. | |
| Cleaning | |
| Tomatoes should be washed in clean water to sufficiently remove dust and foreign material, then | |
| wiped dry with a clean soft cloth. To eliminate the problems with disease build-up that normally | |
| occur, wash water should not be reused. When washing ensure the wash water is several degrees | |
| warmer than the pulp temperature of the tomatoes to avoid drawing water and disease organisms in | |
| the fruit | |
| Grading | |
| During grading of fruits, damaged, rotten and cracked fruits should be removed. Only healthy," | |
| "Visit us on the Web: www.gardeninghelp.org | |
| Tomatoes | |
| The tomato, Lycopericon esculentum, is native to Central and South America with the largest number of wild | |
| relatives growing in Mexico. In the 1500s, Spanish priests harvested plants from Mexico and brought them | |
| to Europe where they were admired only as an ornamental. The tomato was nicknamed the ‘golden apple” | |
| because the first wild relative taken back to Europe had yellow fruit. Later, they became known as the ‘love | |
| apple” and for 400 years they were considered poisonous because the tomato plant looked like deadly | |
| nightshade. The wild species did not produce attractive, edible fruit; they were very seedy, sour and had a | |
| rough outer skin. | |
| In the late 1800s, tomatoes started to emerge as an edible fruit though still recognized primarily as an | |
| ornamental. Breeding efforts in the 1870s produced the first commercial variety and now, the tomato is the | |
| most popular vegetable for the garden in the U.S. Hundreds of varieties are available to plant and catalogs | |
| commonly list dozens from which to choose. | |
| Growing Tomatoes | |
| Tomatoes can be grown from seed or more often, they are purchased as small plants from nurseries or | |
| garden centers. Producing tomato plants from seed is easy, however, it requires that they be grown inside | |
| under lights for about 8 weeks prior to setting out into the garden. If only a few plants are needed, it is | |
| easier to purchase them as transplants in peat pots or cell packs. | |
| Most varieties available today are of the determinant or otherwise called bush type. This means that plants | |
| typically grow to a certain height, stop and the terminal buds set fruit. There is little maintenance to bush | |
| type tomatoes, however, harvest is generally short and much of the fruit matures at the same time meaning | |
| that you will have a large supply all at once. Indeterminant types or vine tomatoes continue to grow | |
| throughout the season. The flowers are produced early and continue to develop over a longer period of | |
| time compared to bush types. This gives a staggered harvest as fruits develop at different times. Growers of | |
| vine tomatoes commonly provide some support like a cage or trellis to control the growth and make | |
| harvesting easy. | |
| If you do not have a garden bed, tomatoes can be grown in containers. Generally, the best selections for | |
| containers are the cherry tomatoes which have a smaller root system and therefore, are better suited for | |
| smaller soil volumes. | |
| Soil Requirements | |
| Tomatoes can be grown on a number of different soil types. The best is a deep, loamy soil that is welldrained and has a good supply of organic matter. The soil pH should be between 6.2 and 6.8 and should be | |
| checked early in the season prior to planting. | |
| Establishing Plants | |
| Tomatoes are a warm-season crop and should not be planted outdoors until all danger of frost is past and | |
| the soils have begun to warm. In St. Louis, that occurs safely around May 15. If temperatures go below 50 | |
| degrees, they should be protected. The flowers will begin to set fruit when the night temperatures are | |
| between 55 and 75 degrees. Lower and higher temperatures will result in no fruit set. | |
| Generally, planting two tomato plants per adult and one for children will provide enough fresh tomatoes | |
| for an average family. Plants should be set deeply into the soil so that the first leaves are just above the soil | |
| surface. This stimulates development roots on the upper part of the stem and results in a stronger overall | |
| root system. | |
| Unstaked tomatoes should be spaced 3 feet apart with rows 5 feet apart. Staked tomatoes can be spaced 2 | |
| feet apart with rows 3 to 4 feet apart. Plants which are to caged can be grown in rows a little closer. Once | |
| planted, they should be watered with a starter fertilizer solution that has a high phosphorous content. A | |
| recommended starter solution might be 1 tablespoon of 23-19-17 in a gallon of water. | |
| Mulching | |
| After the plants have been in the soil for several weeks, they should be mulched with straw or leaf mulch. | |
| Mulching will assist in weed control, prevent excessive moisture loss, moderate soil temperature | |
| fluctuations and keep the branches or vines from contacting the soil where the fruit will rot. Sometimes, | |
| growers will place plastic sheeting down between rows to mulch the plants. This should be covered with | |
| bark or other course materials to hold it in place and prevent premature decomposition of the plastic. | |
| Fertilizer | |
| Tomatoes will respond to fertilization, however, too much can damage the plants or result in poor fruit | |
| development and lower yields. When preparing the bed for planting in the spring, apply about 2.5 to 3 | |
| pounds of complete fertilizer like 5-10-10 or 5-20-20 to 100 square feet. This should be tilled or turned in | |
| to a depth of 12 inches. After the first fruit are about the size of a golf ball, an extra amount of fertilizer | |
| should be put down to support fruit development. Apply 1 pound of ammonium nitrate per 100 feet of row | |
| or about 1 tablespoon per plant. This is called side-dressing the plant or row. Repeat this two more times at | |
| three-week intervals. | |
| Supports | |
| Providing some kind of support for the plants is generally recommended and can be done in a variety of | |
| ways; either by staking, caging or by a trellis. If plants are allowed to sprawl on the ground without | |
| support, the ground should be mulched to prevent directly contact of the fruit with the soil surface. More | |
| diseases and fruit rots will occur if this is not done. | |
| Plants tied to a stake or trellis work best for vine type tomato varieties of indeterminant growth. Cages can | |
| be used for most any variety and are especially good for determinant types. Cages made of wire are most | |
| popular, however, they make harvesting, pest and disease control more difficult. | |
| Pruning | |
| There are two types of pruning which can be done on tomatoes. The first involves removal of shoots or | |
| suckers from the leaf axils off the main stem. The second involves pruning to develop single or multiple | |
| stemmed plants. Removal of shoots (suckers) in the leaf axils on a regular basis is often a recommended | |
| procedure to stimulate earliness and larger fruit. This can be done by pinching out the shoots by hand at | |
| weekly intervals or as they become 1 to 2 inches long. Suckers can be removed up to about mid-July then | |
| they should be allowed to grow. These will provide some shading of the developing fruit and help prevent | |
| sun scald. | |
| Like the removal of suckers, pruning plants to form single stemmed versus multiple stemmed plants will | |
| promote larger and earlier fruit. If plants are trained to a trellis or a single stake, pruning is an easy task. If | |
| you use cages, then it is not. One disadvantage of single stemmed plants is that they are more susceptible to | |
| cracking fruit, blossom end rot and sun scald. Multiple stemmed plants require less maintenance, have | |
| fewer fruit problems, but produce later maturing fruit. | |
| Cultivar Selection | |
| Which cultivar you select to grow is often a matter of personal preference. The first decision is to determine | |
| whether a determinant or indeterminant type is best for you. If a support system is used, indeterminant | |
| types typically require more effort to tie up the branches on a regular basis. However, they produce fruit | |
| over an extended period so that you do not have bushels of fruit at once. Determinant varieties are easy to | |
| care for because they are more self-supporting, however, most of the fruit will mature over a two to threeweek period. | |
| How long it takes for fruit to mature is one consideration when selecting a variety. You may wish to choose | |
| an early maturing variety (50 to 60 days). These generally do not produce fruit with the best taste, but | |
| might be the best choice if you can not plant as early as you want or you expect a short fall season. Later | |
| maturing varieties are usually better tasting but need to maintained longer before they are ready. | |
| The following are recommended varieties for St. Louis: | |
| Determinate | |
| ‘Show Me’ | |
| ‘Celebrity’ | |
| ‘Rutgers’ | |
| ‘Supersonic’ | |
| ‘Floramerica’ | |
| Indeterminate | |
| ‘Big Girl’ | |
| ‘Better Boy’ | |
| ‘Jet Star’ | |
| ‘Big Pick’ | |
| ‘Lemon Boy’ (yellow) | |
| ‘Quick Pick’ | |
| Cherry | |
| ‘Sweet 100’ | |
| ‘Sweet Million’ | |
| ‘Cherry Challenger’ (determinate) | |
| ‘Sundrop’ (yellow) | |
| ‘Small Fry’ (determinate) | |
| Paste (all determinate) | |
| ‘Napoli’ | |
| ‘Veeroma’ | |
| ‘Veepick’ | |
| ‘Roma’" | |
| "Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) can be grown | |
| throughout the year. You can start harvesting | |
| tomato fruits 8 - 9 weeks after transplanting. | |
| One tomato plant can yield 4 - 6 kg (10 - 15 lbs.) | |
| of fruits. | |
| Tomato belongs to the Solanaceae family. | |
| Other crops belonging to this family include | |
| pepper and melongene. | |
| Tomatoes are high in vitamins A and C and | |
| lycopene. | |
| VARIETIES | |
| Some recommended varieties are: | |
| Royal Pearl Royal Gold | |
| Chandini Dianne | |
| Hybrid 61 Akash | |
| PREPARATION OF THE GROWING MEDIUM | |
| Tomatoes can be planted both in the | |
| ground and in containers. They require a | |
| well-drained, fertile growing medium. | |
| Land preparation | |
| If planting in the ground, loosen the soil using a | |
| garden fork to encourage drainage and aeration. | |
| Remove all stumps and large stones. Make drains | |
| to remove excess water from the garden if | |
| needed. | |
| Too much water in the soil will kill the plants | |
| and encourages disease. | |
| Container preparation | |
| If planting in containers, use a container at least | |
| 45 cm (18 inches) by 40 cm (16 inches) and 30 | |
| cm (12 inches) deep. | |
| Mixed cropping: | |
| Tomato can be interplanted with other crops | |
| in the home garden. Allow 0.5 m2 (5 feet2) per | |
| tomato plant. | |
| TRANSPLANTING | |
| Transplant healthy seedlings late in the | |
| afternoon (3:30 – 4:30 p.m.) when they are | |
| 3 - 4 weeks old. | |
| Make a hole 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter and | |
| 10 cm (4 inches) deep. | |
| Prepare the container and the growing | |
| medium and transplant your seedlings as | |
| described in the home gardening factsheet on | |
| “Container Planting”. | |
| SPACING | |
| Planting tomato seedlings in the ground: | |
| Space seedlings 30 cm (12 inches) within | |
| rows and 60 to 90 cm (2 - 3 feet) between | |
| rows. | |
| How To Grow Tomato | |
| HG/TT: Ag Ext 97:08 | |
| Figure 1: Aerial view of tomato | |
| plot showing plant spacing | |
| WATERING | |
| Water tomato seedlings immediately after | |
| transplanting and twice daily, in the absence | |
| of rain. | |
| Water plants in the morning and early | |
| afternoon to prevent fungal problems. | |
| A mature tomato plant needs 2 - 3 litres of | |
| water daily. | |
| Insufficient water will cause flower drop and | |
| blossom end rot. | |
| FERTILISING | |
| Plants need nutrients in the correct | |
| proportions for healthy growth and | |
| production. Nutrients are usually provided | |
| by the growing medium. Use fertilisers to | |
| provide additional nutrients as needed. | |
| You can use granular, or foliar fertilisers. | |
| Method of application | |
| If using a granular fertiliser, apply it at the | |
| drip circle of the plant. | |
| If using a foliar fertiliser, dissolve it in water | |
| and apply to the plants’ leaves. | |
| Timing of fertiliser application | |
| One week after transplanting: | |
| Use a complete NPK fertilizer high in | |
| phosphorus e.g., 10:40:10 at the | |
| manufacturer’s recommended rate. | |
| Place one seedling in each planting hole. Pull | |
| the mixture around it and press it lightly to | |
| hold plant upright and firmly in position. | |
| Agricultural limestone is required since most | |
| soils in Trinidad are too acidic for tomato. Mix | |
| 1/2 cup of limestone and two handfuls of | |
| cured (well-rotted) pen manure or compost | |
| with the soil that was removed and refill the | |
| hole with the mixture. | |
| Make a hole just big enough to hold the | |
| seedling’s root ball. | |
| Figure 3: Planting Hole | |
| Figure 2: Dimensions of Figure 5: Planted Seedling | |
| ‘planting hole’ | |
| Figure 4: Transplanting | |
| Repeat once in the 3rd week after | |
| transplanting. | |
| When new leaves appear (2 - 3 weeks after | |
| transplanting): | |
| Use a complete NPK fertiliser high in | |
| nitrogen e.g. 20:10:10 at the manufacturer’s | |
| recommended rate. | |
| When flowers form (4 - 6 weeks after | |
| transplanting): | |
| Use a complete NPK fertiliser high in | |
| potassium (e.g. 12:12:17+2) according to | |
| manufacturer’s recommendation to promote | |
| flowering and fruit development. | |
| A tomato plant can continue to flower and fruit | |
| for 3 - 4 months. | |
| PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL | |
| If pests and diseases are left unchecked, they will | |
| affect the health of plant and its yield. These | |
| problems can be managed using a | |
| combination of recommended cultural | |
| practices, biological control and use of | |
| safe pesticides. | |
| This is known as Integrated Pest Management. | |
| Use the information provided in the factsheet | |
| on “Integrated Pest Management for Home | |
| Gardeners” as a guide to controlling pests and | |
| diseases in your garden. | |
| CULTURAL PRACTICES | |
| Prepare the growing medium as | |
| recommended. | |
| Put in enough drains to remove all excess | |
| water from the garden. | |
| As far as possible, plant varieties that are | |
| resistant to diseases. | |
| Practice crop rotation; Don’t plant tomato | |
| or any member of the solanaceous family in | |
| the same spot continuously. Members of this | |
| family include tomato, melongene and | |
| pepper. After a crop of tomato, plant a | |
| crop from another family such as lettuce | |
| or cabbage. Figure 7: Tying plants to stake | |
| Figure 6: Individually Staked Tomato plants | |
| Practice mixed cropping; Plant different | |
| crops within the same plot. For example | |
| intercrop tomatoes with lettuce. | |
| Remember to leave adequate root room | |
| for all plants. | |
| Control weeds as soon as you see them | |
| throughout the life of the crop. | |
| Grow pungent plants such as marigold | |
| and basil in the garden to keep away some | |
| pests. | |
| Stake tomato plants. Tomato stems are | |
| weak and grow along the ground. Staking | |
| keeps the plant upright and prevents the | |
| soft fruits from lying on the dirt. Stakes | |
| should be at least 2 metres (6 feet) tall. | |
| Plants can be individually staked, or if | |
| many are planted together they can be | |
| staked in rows. The stakes should be put | |
| in when preparing the growing medium at | |
| transplanting. | |
| BIOLOGICAL CONTROL | |
| There are many beneficial insects that can | |
| help control pests and diseases that affect | |
| tomato. Encouraging helpful insects such as | |
| ladybird beetles, spiders and dragonflies can | |
| help to reduce pest problems in the garden. | |
| PEST CONTROL USING NATURAL | |
| PESTICIDES | |
| Natural pesticides are recommended for use | |
| in the home garden. Use the information | |
| provided in the factsheet “Making Natural | |
| Pesticides Using Local Materials” as a guide. | |
| When staking in rows, insert the stakes next to | |
| every fourth plant. Tie the twine from stake to | |
| stake on each side, enclosing the plants. | |
| Continue tying the plant as it grows. | |
| Published and printed by | |
| the Extension Training and Information Services Division | |
| Ministry of Food Production | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | |
| July 2005 | |
| Revised July 2009 | |
| Revised December 2012 | |
| “All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any | |
| form, or by any means reproduced without permission in writing, of the Ministry of Food Production.” | |
| Technical content edited by - Roshni Sita Ramsingh | |
| Figure 9: Harvesting fruit | |
| HARVESTING | |
| Harvest fruits when they are mature or ripe. | |
| Tomato fruits are ready for harvest when they | |
| have changed colour from green to streaks of | |
| red, all grooves are filled and they have lost | |
| their shine. | |
| Do not harvest fruits when they are wet or | |
| when it is raining because this can lead to | |
| rotting. | |
| Harvest the fruit with the stem attached to it. | |
| This will encourage continued flowering. | |
| Hold the fruit and snap upwards; mature | |
| tomatoes will easily separate from the main | |
| stem of the plant. | |
| Figure 8: Staking plants in row | |
| Twine | |
| Stake" | |