CLIMATE AND VARIETIES

Climate

The crop requires a warm growing season with abundant sunshine and adequate moisture. It is a warm season vegetable but is extensively grown in cooler regions as well. The plant, however, cannot stand severe frost. It can be grown at temperatures ranging between 15–27 oC. It performs well under an average monthly temperature of 21–23 oC. It can be cultivated under irrigated conditions in arid tropics, but under very high temperatures the quality of fruits is poor and there is a high incidence of sunscald. High humidity and high temperature makes the plant susceptible to foliage diseases. Excessive rain causes flower drop and adversely affects fruit set. For proper pigmentation of fruits, warm sunny days with moderately cool nights are preferable.

Growing season

In India, the crop can be grown throughout the year. In the northern plains, the crop can be cultivated during autumn and spring as well as summer. In south India, there are three growing seasons: June–July, October–November and January–February.

Soil

The crop can be grown under varied soils ranging from sandy loam to clay, black soil or red soil having good drainage. However, sandy loam rich in organic matter with a little sand in the upper layer and good clay content in the subsoil and a fairly good capacity to hold moisture is best suited for the crop. A pH between 6 and 8.5 is ideal. The crop can tolerate moderate acidity and salinity.

Crop duration

The crop duration ranges between 120–140 days for varieties and for hybrids, it is around 160 days.

Varieties

A large number of tomato varieties have been developed in the country. More than 25 open pollinated varieties and 10 hybrids have been released at the national level. Besides several open pollinated varieties and hybrids have been released by the respective tomato growing states and are also cultivated. In a number of states, the local varieties are still popular with farmers and these are better adapted to organic production systems. In Tamil Nadu, the local varieties cultivated include Bangalore local, guli thakkali, periyakulam local, pink thakkali, sirsi nattu thakkali and Nattu thakkali.

Updated on : Dec 2014