Tomato Production Overview

Tomato Production Overview

• Tomatoes are a widely grown horticultural crop, cultivated for fresh consumption and processing (canning, juicing).
• Outdoor production is dominant, but greenhouses (hydroponics) are used for year-round production, improving quality compared to field-grown tomatoes.

Global Tomato Production (Estimated)

• Spain: 2,400,000 tons, 8,000 hectares
• Turkey: 1,200,000 tons, hectares undefined
• France: 560,000 tons, 2,057 hectares
• Netherlands: 550,000 tons, 1,200 hectares
• Italy: 547,000 tons, hectares undefined
• Mexico: tons undefined, 750 hectares
• Canada: 217,750 tons, 468 hectares
• United States: 159,000 tons, 340 hectares
• New Zealand: 40,000 tons, 150 hectares
• Portugal: 31,600 tons, 580 hectares
• Germany: tons undefined, 280 hectares
• United Kingdom: tons undefined, 200 hectares

Tomato Types and Characteristics

• Various commercial greenhouse tomato varieties exist (Beefsteak, Tomatoes-on-vine (TOV), Cherry/cocktail, Grape).
• Tomato characteristics vary across types, impacting fruit size (grams), Brix (% soluble solids), and yield (relative to Beefsteak).

Tomato Hydroponic Systems

• Tomatoes, like other vine crops, are typically grown in slab/bag or Dutch/BATO bucket systems.

Tomato Production Stages

• Key stages include propagation, vegetative growth, flowering, pollination, and fruit set/growth, occurring concurrently after fruit set.

Propagation

• Tomatoes are propagated from seed.
• Grafted tomatoes use seed-propagated rootstocks and scions.
• Seed germination typically occurs within 4-6 days at 72-75°F.

Tomato Seedling Growth

• Seedlings require adequate photosynthetic light.
• Supplemental light may be needed for winter-sown crops.
• Nutrient application (0.8-1.2 mS∙cm−1 initially, increasing to 2.0-2.2 mS∙cm−1 before planting) is vital.

Vegetative Growth

• Environmental factors (light, temperature, CO2) and culture (mineral nutrition, irrigation) influence vegetative growth and can be manipulated for desired outcomes.
• Vegetative growth should be maintained throughout production.
• Pruning practices (sucker removal, leaf removal, topping) are crucial.

Flowering

• Flowering occurs after several true leaves have developed.
• Environmental factors (high fertilizer, high temperatures, low light) can delay flowering.

Pollination

• Pollination is essential for fruit development.
• Controlled environments may require assistance with pollination (hormones, bees, hand-pollination).

Fruit Set and Growth

• Fruit development starts after pollination.
• Plant hormones from seeds promote fruit growth.
• Fruit cluster thinning might be needed to optimize yield based on tomato type (e.g., large fruits = 4-6 fruits per plant).

Tomato Crop Nutrition

• Nutritional needs of tomatoes change during the lifecycle.
• Nutrient solution adjustments throughout the growing cycle promote optimal growth.

Calcium in Tomato Production

• Calcium is crucial for fruit development due to the high demand in expanding fruit cells.

Greenhouse Environmental Control

• CO2 levels should be maintained and enriched up to 1000 ppm, as CO2 decline can be significant in winter.
• Day/night temperature targets should be around 75°F (day) and 65°F (night).
• Keep maximum temperature below 86°F and minimum above 54°F.
• Light management focuses on photosynthetic light, aiming for 12+ mol∙m−2∙d−1.
• Greenhouse humidity (VPD range 0.3-1.3 kPa and RH 55-90%, temperature-dependent) impacts nutrient uptake and disease prevention.

Crop Steering

• Steering tomatoes influence a crop's growth (vegetative vs. generative).
• Vegetative growth (non-reproductive) is influenced by factors (genetics, age, moisture).
• Generative growth (reproductive) is encouraged by factors like light, EC, deficit irrigation.

Fruit Quality and Flavor

• High EC levels can improve fruit quality (high salts concentrating contents), but too high EC can induce blossom end rot (reduced Ca uptake).
• Carefully manage EC increases (0.5-1.0 mS∙cm−1).

Pests and Diseases

• Common tomato pests include whiteflies, thrips, aphids, and spider mites.
• Key tomato diseases include Botrytis, Erwinia, Pythium, powdery mildew, bacterial wilt, and bacterial spotting.

Management Practices

• Practices include bifurcating plants, sucker removal, leaf removal, cluster thinning, topping.

Leaf Removal and Topping

• Leaf removal up to the lowest truss of developing fruit is common to maximize fruit development.
• Topping (removal of apical meristem) occurs towards harvest (4-6 weeks before). This concentrates resources in existing fruits.

Physiological Disorders

• Flower abortion can result from high temperature stress.
• Blossom end rot is caused by inadequate calcium.
• Misshapen fruits (catfacing) are linked to incomplete pollination.

Harvest Stages

• Tomato ripeness stages are classified with increasing red coloration (0-Immature, 1-Mature green, 2-Breaker, 3-Turning, 4-Pink, 5-Light red, 6-Red/Ripe).

Key Points

• Tomatoes are a primary hydroponic crop.
• Tomatoes are a valuable model for vine crops.
• Controlled environments allow for quality manipulation.