Intermag

Manufacturer of biostimulants, specialty fertilizers, bioproducts and animal health products.

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    • CROP GUIDES: TOMATO FOR PROCESSING

    TOMATO FOR PROCESSING

    Table of Contents:

    Tomato for processing - description

    Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important vegetables grown worldwide and is widely used both in the food industry and in home cooking. It belongs to the Solanaceae family.

    Other popular vegetables of this family:

    • pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) 
    • aubergine / eggplant (Solanum melongena)
    • potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

    The cultivation of tomato for processing requires special techniques to achieve high quality yields and economic efficiency in production.  A large number of tomato varieties are grown worldwide. Determinate tomato varieties, characterised by uniform fruit ripening, are grown for processing, which allows mechanical harvesting.

    The key quality parameters include:

    • dry matter content of the fruit,
    • extract content (expressed in °Brix),
    • ratio of sugar to organic acid,
    • colour and firmness of the fruit.

    In order to achieve a satisfying profitability in the production of tomatoes for processing, it is necessary to use the most effective cultivation treatments, adapted to the conditions of the farm. 

    Tomato for processing - cultivation and fertilization

    1. Tomato for processing – production and fertilisation of seedlings

    Proper seedling production is key to obtaining healthy and strong plants that will adapt well when planted in to a permanent place. To optimise the growth of young plants, it is recommended to use:

    ▪ BACTIM® TERRASTART – a product containing phosphorus and zinc with the innovative SAFE–P formula, apply during substrate preparation

    ▪ PLONVIT® OPTY, PLONVIT® CALCIUM TURBO, AMINO ULTRA® HORTI – fertilisers for effective plant nutrition

    ▪ GROWON® – in case of purple discolouration of the leaves, indicating phosphorus deficiency

    ▪ MYCOTIM  VIGOR and BACTIM® FERTI – microbial products to promote seedling development, shorten production time and reduce transplanting stress.

    Tomato seedlings. Photo: Intermag

    2. Fertilization after planting the seedlings

    After planting the seedlings – when the air and soil are suddenly cold – it is essential to supply phosphorus foliarly, in the form most rapidly available to the plants, which is provided by  GROWON® energy activator.

    3. Fertilisation during the period of intensive vegetative growth

    At this phase, the plants require a large amount of nitrogen. Recommended products:

    • PLONVIT® NITROMAG or PLONVIT® NITRO – high-quality foliar fertilsers with a high nitrogen content
    • BACTIM® ENDOFIX – reduces mineral nitrogen fertilisation. It is a unique product based on Paenibacillus polymyxa bacteria, which penetrate into the plants and supply them with additional nitrogen, fixed directly from the air.

    4. Flowering tomatoes for processing – what to use?

    During flowering, plants require more phosphorus and micronutrients to support pollination:

    • PLONVIT® FOSTAR or PLONVIT® PHOSPHO – phosphorus fertilisers, needed to build generative organs. Most effective in foliar applications.
    • At this stage of plant development, boron is an important micronutrient which is involved in pollen formation, germination, pollination and flower fertilisation. In addition, boron ions are involved in the transport and metabolism of calcium. Recommended boron fertilizers are: MIKROVIT® BORON TURBO or MIKROVIT® BORON.
    • From seedling emergence, during plant development and flowering – the yield biostimulant TYTANIT® plays a particularly important role, as it intensifies photosynthesis, enhances pollination processes and increases the uptake of nutrients from the soil.
    Flowering tomato. Photo: Adobe Stock.

    4. Fruiting tomatoes for processing – what to fertilize with?

    During the development and ripening of the fruit, the tomato requires a very good supply of potassium. A foliar application of PLONVIT® KALPRIM® or PLONVIT® KALI supports uniform ripening and colouring of the fruit and has a positive effect on their quality parameters.

    It is also very important to provide plants with a good supply of calcium, which ensures adequate fruit firmness and post-harvest stability – OPTYCAL® and PLONVIT® CALCIUM TURBO.

    Particularly recommended are: the immunity biostimulant OPTYSIL® and the post-harvest shelf life activator OPTYSIL® LONGLIFE, which significantly contribute to increasing tomato fruit quality and can reduce the incidence of fungal diseases.

    5. Tomato for processing – disease prevention?

    Commonly used methods of growing determinate tomato varieties allow plants to be planted at high densities (22-30,000 plants/ha), which promotes the spread of diseases due to high humidity, and the plants are often on the ground, making them susceptible to soil-borne diseases. Therefore, in the cultivation of tomato for processing, it is important to increase the plant’s resistance to diseases, through preventive measures and appropriate preparations.

    Factors to pay particular attention to in the prevention of tomato diseases:

    • selection of varieties adapted to the growing conditions and the intended use of the fruit
    • the location of the plantation (e.g. avoid positions surrounded by shrubs, trees, close to water and meadows where there may be fog in the morning can caouse prolonged leaf wetness)
    • crop rotation, careful soil cultivation and use of organic fertilizers
    • proper sowing/planting terms and sufficient plant density
    • mineral fertilisation adapted to the nutritional requirements of the variety and the richness of the soil
    • phytosanitary hygiene (use of soil pathogen-free substrates for seedling production, planting only healthy seedlings only, removal of disease-infected plant parts and fruit from the field)
    • post-harvest residue management
    • use of plant protection products in accordance with current legislation and strict compliance with the rules on their use
    • monitoring – inspections of tomato plantations for the presence of diseases and pests should be carried out at least 1-2 times a week

    Preparations that significantly increase the effectiveness of tomato protection are:

    • OPTYSIL® – reduces abiotic (e.g. periodic water shortages) and biotic stresses caused by pathogens and pests,
    • PLANTICINE® – activates the natural immune system of plants,
    • BACTIM® HORTI – forms a microbial barrier on above-ground plant parts,
    • BACTIM® FERTI – reduces the harmfulness of soil-borne diseases,
    • ALKALIN™ PK 10:20 – the alkaline pH reduces the development of fungal diseases.

    These products play a particularly important role in integrated and organic plant production.

    INTERMAG’s wide range of products allows you to design your own individual programme for fertilization, biostimulation and increasing the resistance of plants to abiotic and biotic stresses.

    We invite you to take a look at our the full range of products and their wide spectrum of activity.

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