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Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a warm-season fruit-vegetable in the family Solanaceae, grown across India for fresh-market and processing use. It is one of the country's most economically important vegetables, with year-round demand met through staggered sowing in kharif, rabi and summer seasons. Breeding for Indian agro-climates is led by ICAR-IIHR Bengaluru and ICAR-IIVR Varanasi, which between them maintain a wide portfolio of open-pollinated cultivars and F1 hybrids including the Arka Rakshak and Arka Samrat series.

Key characteristics

  • Optimum temperature: 20-30 degC
  • Soil pH: 6.5-7.5, well-drained loam or sandy-loam
  • Main seasons: kharif (June-July), rabi (September) and summer (January)
  • Family: Solanaceae (related to brinjal, chilli and potato)

Cultivation

Tomato is raised in nursery beds and transplanted at 25-30 days after sowing. Standard recommended spacing is 60 x 45 cm. Balanced fertilisation around 150 kg N + 80 kg P2O5 per hectare is the package recommendation for hybrids, supplied through a combination of basal and split applications. The crop responds strongly to staking, drip irrigation and fertigation; off-season cultivation in cooler hill belts and under shade-net is documented in Summer Tomato Cultivation.

Pest and disease profile

Major biotic stresses include the begomovirus complex causing leaf curl (Tomato Leaf Curl Virus), transmitted by Bemisia tabaci, and foliar diseases caused by Alternaria solani and Phytophthora infestans (Tomato Early Late Blight). Fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera), whitefly and mites are recurring insect problems across most growing windows.

Adoption and use

Private-sector hybrids such as Tomato Variety Sahoo, Tomato Variety Aryaman Seminis and Tomato Variety Salaar dominate commercial cultivation in south India and Maharashtra alongside ICAR-IIHR public-sector releases.

See also: Tomato Variety Sahoo, Tomato Variety Aryaman Seminis, Tomato Variety Salaar, Tomato Leaf Curl Virus, Tomato Early Late Blight, Summer Tomato Cultivation.

References

  1. Tomato. ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research.
  2. Tomato varieties. ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research.
  3. Biology of Solanum lycopersicum. ICAR Department of Biotechnology Biosafety Portal.