Intermag

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

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    • CROP GUIDES: TOMATO (FRESH-MARKET)

    FRESH-MARKET TOMATO

    Table of Contents:

    Fresh-market tomato - 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.).

    Best fresh-market tomatoes varietes

    There are many varieties of tomato, and choosing the right growing conditions and fertilisation is key to achieving a high-quality yield.

    In the production of tomatoes for the fresh market, the most valued varieties are those with:

      • large, intensely coloured and fleshy fruit, tasty fruit with few seeds and a thin skin.
      • high dry matter content
      • low seeds count and thin skin.

    For this purpose, mainly indeterminate varieties are used.

    The plant growth of these varieties is continuous, limited only by the growing conditions, and the clusters form and mature gradually. As a result, their yield period is long. Most of the indeterminate varieties have a limp stem and require the use of supports (ropes, stakes).

    The indeterminate varieties are used in greenhouse production, but can also be grown in the open field by tying the plants to strong, high stakes.

    Fresh-market tomatoes - fertilization

    Indeterminate varieties require sufficiently intensive and uniform fertilisation throughout the growing season to ensure proper nutrition of the following clusters. Deficiencies in this period cause:

    • partial flower and bud fall premature ripening of underdeveloped fruitreduced yield.
    Photo: Intermag

    How to fertilize tomatoes?

    The use of drip irrigation and fertigation allows for the elimination of fluctuations in substrate/soil moisture and optimal supply of nutrients in order to obtain a good quality fruit crop.

    The idea of fertigation is to maintain a planned concentration of nutrients in the root system environment.

    Fertigation in soiless cultivation

    The idea of fertigation is to maintain a planned concentration of nutrients in the root system environment. Fertigation in this sense is applied in soilless crops. The volume of substrate per plant, in such crops, is very small (usually a few litres) and therefore they require constant irrigation and the application of fertiliser solutions at very low concentrations (hydroponic concentrations,  0.05 – 0.1%).

    Photo: shutterstock.

    In-ground tomato fertigation

    When grown in soil, plants have significantly more soil volume to develop their root system. The water and sorption capacity of the soil allows larger doses of fertiliser to be applied every few days. Multiple application of fertiliser (in the form of a solution) during crop production is typical for liquid fertilisation, which is colloquially known as in-ground fertigation.

    Fertilizers recommended for fertigation must be of very high quality, especially excellent solubility in water, practically no insoluble parts and high concentration of nutrients – DROPFERT® 18/18/18, DROPFERT® 4/40/13, DROPFERT® 9/10/36, MIKRO PLUS™, MIKRO PLUS™ ULTRA.

    For the fertigation of crops in the field conditions, you can also use universal fertilizers: PLONVIT® OPTY, PLONVIT® NITRO, PLONVIT® PHOSPHO, PLONVIT® KALI.

    Water quality is critical in fertigated crops. One of the criteria for assessing this is the level of iron (Fe), which precipitates as a gel-like sediment and clogs the capillaries. Water with a high iron content must be de-ironed by aeration and special filters.

    At the same time, iron is an essential micronutrient for plants and is therefore added to the nutrient in a chelated form that is safe for the system and can be assimilated by the plants. Depending on the pH of the solution, you can choose between MIKROCHELAT™ Fe-13 or MIKROCHELAT™ Fe-11 or MIKROCHELAT™ Fe-6 o-o.

    You can also supply chelated iron together with other micronutrients in MIKRO PLUS™ or MIKRO PLUS™ ULTRA fertilizers.

    Biostimulation of fresh-market tomato

    The effects of fertigation can be enhanced by the use of biostimulants. They are commonly used in agriculture and horticulture because they support plant function and reduce the negative effects of stress factors. They work completely differently than fertilizers and do not replace them.

    The composition and origin of biostimulants can be very different.

    In tomato cultivation, beneficial elements deserve special attention, such as: titanium, which innovative aTIUM® molecules constitute the essence of the yield biostimulant – TYTANIT® and silicon, which unique, stable formula duoSIL – constitutes the essence of the immunity biostimulant – OPTYSIL®.

    Silicon in this form is also a component of a shelf-life activator – OPTYSIL® LONGLIFE (for use in the form of foliar sprays).

    Biopreparations for tomato

    The fertigation system can also be used to apply biopreparations containing beneficial microorganisms – BACTIM® FERTI, MYCOTIM  VIGOR, MYCOTIM NEMABLOCK.

    As these products are not clear solutions – during application, mixing must be repeated to prevent the biopreparation from settling down and additionally, before application – it is recommended to remove the filter and rinse the installation after application.

    Bacteria and beneficial fungi inhabiting the root zone increase plant tolerance to soil diseases and resistance to abiotic stresses. They allow better use of fertilisers and reduced use of plant protection products.

    They delay the aging in plants. The effect is an improvement in the size and quality of the crop.

    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.

    PRODUCTS RECOMMENDED IN FEEDING PROGRAM OF FRESH-MARKET TOMAO

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