Choice of seeds

After seed production, diseased, broken seeds are discarded. The seeds for sowing should be free from inert matter. Early germinating, bold, uniform in shape and size, seeds are selected for sowing. Hybrid seeds from F1 generation are advantageous for sowing as it gives early and high yield uniform fruity, resistant to adverse environmental conditions.

Seed and sowing

Tomato is generally cultivated by transplanting seedlings on ridges and furrows. At the time of transplanting seedlings are harder by exposing to open weather or by withholding irrigation. A seed rate of 400 to 500g/ha is required.

Seeds are treated with Thiram @ 3g/kg of seed to protect from seed born diseases. Seed treatment with B. naphthoxyacetic acid (BNOA) at 25 and 50 ppm, gibberllic acid (GA3) at 5-20 ppm and chlorophenoxy acetic at 10 and 20 ppm was found to improve the growth and yield of tomato.

Seeds are sown in June July for autumn winter crop and for spring summer crop seeds are sown in November. In the hills seed is sown in March April. The spacing recommended for the autumn winter crop is 75 x 60cm and for spring summer crop 75 x 45cm.

The ideal seedbed should be 60cm wide, 5-6cm long and 20-25cm high. Clods and stubbles should be removed from the seedbed. Add sieved FYM and fine sand on the seedbed. Bring them to fine tilth. Drench the bed with Fytolon/Dithane M-45 @ 2-2.5 g/lit of water. Draw the lines 10 to 15cm apart throughout the length of the seedbed. Sow the seeds thinly spaced in lines, press gently, cover with fine sand and then cover the bed with straw. Irrigate with rose can. Irrigate the seedbed twice a day till the seeds germinate. Remove the straw after the seeds germinate. Apply a little Thimet at 4-5 leaf stage. Spray the seedlings with Metasystox/Thiodan @ 2-2.5 ml/lit water and Dithane M-45 @ 2-2.5 g/lit water.