Cultivation Giude for Tomato Variety Series

1, Sowing Time

For the Winter to Spring cultivation, the seeds are sown from the middle Oct. to middle Dec., cultivated in high tunnel, and come into market from Feb. to Apr. the next year. For the late Spring cultivation, the seeds are sown in May, and come into market from Aug. to Sep. For the Autumn cultivation, the seeds are sown from Jun. to Jul., and come into market from early Sept. to Nov.

2, Requirement of Cultivation Environmental Condition

2.1, Temperature

The tamatoes are thermophilic crops but not heat-resistant. The proper growing and developing temperature is between 20 to 25 degree centigrade, but the plants requires different temperature in different developing period. For sprouting, the suitable temperature is between 25-30 degree, higher than 35 degree will impact the sprouting, and the seeds will not sprout when the temperature is lower than 11 degree centigrade. In the seedling stage, the suitable temperature is 20-25 degree centigrade in the day time and 10-15 degree at night. In higher temperature, the seedlings are easily grow excessive. In lower temperature, the seedlings will easily form small old fruits or runtish flower buds, and cause dropping of flower and fruit, or form abnormal fruit in the future. The plant is sensitive to temperature in blossom period, with suitable temperature in 20-25 degree centigrade in the daytime and 15-20 degree centigrade at night, lower than 15 degree centigrade or higher than 35 degree centigrade will goes against the normal development of floral organ. In the fruit setting period, the suitable temperature is 25-28 degree centigrade in the daytime and 15-20 degree centigrade at night. In lower temperature, the fruits will develop slowly. If the temperature reaches 30-35 degree centigrade, the fruits will develop faster, but the rate of fruit setting will be reduced.

2.2, Illumination

The tomatoes are heliophyte, with abundant demand of sunlight for growth and development. The abundant illumination condition will not only supports the photozynthesis of the plants, but also promotes the differentiation of flower buds, lowers the blossom node of the first inflorescence, and promotes the maturation of fruits. If the illumination is reduced, the nutrient accumulated from hotozynthesis will be reduced, the result is that, the plants are innutrient, with thin and weak stems and leaves, and it’s easy to cause dropping of flowers and fruits, seriously influences the yield and quality. This is also one of the main reasons why the yield is low when cultivated in the sunlight greenhouse in Winter in North China. But if the illumination is too strong, especially come along with high temperature and drought, it will burns the fruit surface, and causes physiologic furl and virus disease, also impacts the yield and quality.

2.3, Moisture

As tomatoes grow speedy with strong transpiration, and the fruits set more, the water requirement is abundant. As the root system is advanced, the water absorbing force is strong, the plant is drought-resistant in a certain extent. In the seedling period, the suitable soil moisture is about 60%-70%. In the recovering period after setting, the water demand is huge. Before blossom and fruit setting, control the moisture properly, to prevent the stem and leaves from excessive growth, so as not to impact the fruit setting. Afte the bulge of fruits, the water demand increases sharply, the soil should maitain moist, to prevent alternately drought and moisture.
In different growing period, the tomatoes require low air humidity, properly in 50%-60%. If the air humidity is too high, it will affects the normal pollination and will easily causes the incidence and popularity of all kinds of infectious diseases.

3, Cultivation Season and Variety Selection

For most areas, the tomatoes can be cultivated from Spring through Fall. Generally, it can be sown when the soil temperature is above 15-20 degree centigrade, with proper growing and developing temperature in about 20-25 degree centigrade. To prelong the supply period, different varieties can be selected. First, the determinate growth type. For this type, at every 1-2 nodes in chief vines, it bears one inflorescence. After 2-3 inflorescence, the terminal bud will form a inflorescence so that the plant will not grow upwards. For the side branches grown by axil, they can noly bear 1-2 inflorescences usually, and then sealing-top itself. Second, the indeterminate growth type. On the chief vines, the inflorescences bear at every 2-3 nodes, and the terminal buds will continuous to grow.
 
For Spring cultivation, it is suggested to choose indeterminate growth type, such as Red-Handsome, European-Champion, and so on. For Autumn and Winter cultivation, it is suggested to choose the varieties such as Saier, Pink-lady and so on.

4, File Managament

4.1, Sowing

Choose the seebed which has sandy loam and the preceding crop is not Solanaceae. Supply 1500kg of farmyart manure per acre, plough and prepare the seedbed, and cover with a layer of fine soil,in the weight of 6000kg per acre. For the medical soaking, use 200 times of 30% ambam or 5000 times of potassium permanganate or formalin to soak for 1h. After the disinfection by medical soaking, put the seeds into clear water to wash clean, or use 25% carbendazim solution to soak for half an hour and then wash out. It can also be soaked by formalin combinded with perfuming. The concrete operation is that, soak the seeds in clean water for 3-4h, and then soak them into 100 times of formalin for 15-20min, fetch out and packed with wet pledget, and then put the seeds in a tub and seal up to suffocate for 2-3h, and then wash out by clean water. When sowing, water through the seedbed with base water. The seedling quantity is about 3000-4200g per acre, supplying the transplanting for 18-24 acre of field.

4.2, Seedling Management

In a period after germination from sowing, it does not need watering. In the whole seedling stage, if the weather condition is not too drouhty, there is no need to water usually, so as to prevent week seedlings in low temperature, especially excessive growth. If the soil is too droughty, even cracked, water the seedling properly to make the soil moist. For to prevent frost, water the plant one day before the frost, better to build up low plastic tunnel covered with thin film to prevent frost and keep warm.
 
In the seedling stage, it usually do not need top dressing and thinning. If the sowing density is too high, thin the seedling properly. After the germinatin, clear away the weed in time. The attack by disease is less in seedling stage. For prevention, 700 times of 58% metalaxyl-MZ, 25% chlorothaloril or previcur can be use to spray in every 7 days.
 
Temporary planting is done in one month after the germination. It is the important step to culture strong seedlings in Spring. Usually not to supply base manure to the temporary planting bed. The temporary planting is done under sunny, no frost and wind weather condition. Choose strong seedlings which are well grown and without diseases or pest to plant. Avoid any injures to the plant when planting, and supply the plants with water as root setting water, less for the first time. Water once in the early morning and evening later on until 2-3 days after the revival of seedlings. The temporary planting distance is generally 5cm by 6cm.
 
After the revival from temporary planting, supply root-striking fertlizer for the first time, using 0.5% urea aqueous solution. 3 days before transplanting, fertilize once more, using 20% human urine or 0.2% urea aqueous solution. The time of temporary planting last for about 1 month.

4.3, Transplanting

Choose the field which are not rotated with solanaceae for more than 3 years, with thick fertile soil and convenient irrigation and drainage. Plough the land deeply and sun it to white, supply adequate base manure, mainly by farmyard manure. Supply 15000kg of barnyard manure and 600kg of compound fertilizer and 600kg of calcium superph per acre. Turnover the field to make high ridge and deep ditch, and then cover with mulching film.
 
For the planting density, the width of ridge including ditch is about 1.30 m. Plant 2 rows in each ridge, and the planting distance is 0.4m by 0.7m. Plant about 12000-14400 plants per acre.

4.4, Management of Fertilizer and Water

The water demand is less in the early growing period, and abundant in fruit setting period, water once in every 4-5 days. If to irrigate through ditches, the water surface should not be higher than two third of the ridge. From May to Jun. each year, as it rains a lot, the drainage should be done in time to make sure that there is no accumulated water in the ditches, to maitain suitable moisture. After the survival from transplanting, supply seedling expediting fertilizer once. After the fruit on the first infructescence expands, fertilize for the second time. When the fruits on the first infructescence are going to be mature and the second ones are quite big, fertilize for the third time. Fertilize for the fourth time after the fruits on the 2th-3th infructescences are picked. The top dressing is mainly by finished dung. In the early top dressing, added in 90kg of calcium phosphate per acre. For early fertilization, fertilize around the transplanting hole and then cover with soil, and in ditches in late period.

4.5, Cultivation

For to avoid diseases and pests, it is better to cultivate as less time as possible. At the beginning of plant setting, cultivate carefully for 1-2 times. Later on, wipe off the weeds by hand if there are.

4.6, Pruning Method

One is called single-vine pruning, that is to wipe off the branches which grow from axils, only to remain the inflorescence in the chief stem to set fruits. The other is called double-vines pruning, that is to remain one side branch which is below the first inflorescence, to let it grow and set fruit with the chief stem. The second method is usually chosen. The pruning is always done when the first inflorescence blossoms or form small fruits. Wipe off the side branches whenever they grow out. When the plants grow to a certain height, with 4-5 inflorescences, pick off the terminal bud, which is called pinching.

4.7, Prevention of Dropping of Flower and Fruit

Because of higher or lower temperature, shortage of illumination, air drying and so on, it will often causes dropping of flower and fruit. Soak the flowers or daub the flower stalk with 20-30ppm of 2,4-D, or spray the flower with 40-50ppm of PCPA by small sprayer. For the Autumn shelf tomato, the growing period is just about the season with high temperature, rainy and virus disease-prone, if only use late sowing method to avoid adverse environment, the yield will be low and unstable, the yiled concumpation of storage and color turning is more, and the quality diversification is more. Therefore, determining the best sowing period is the most significant factor for the cultivation of Autumn shelf tomatoes.

5, Prevention and Control of Diseases and Pests

5.1, Virus Disease

Use 0.1% potassium pernanganate to soak the seeds for 15min, and then wash out by clean water. In the seedling stage or after transplanting, spray 100 times of NS-83. Spray for 3-4 times from seedling stage to florescence. Put prevention first, and combining prevention with treatment.

5.2, Early and Late Blight Diseases

Use 600 times of dupont for control, adding leffingwell No. 1-3, atonik, and 1% calcium nitrate to spray alternately.

5.3, Stem Rot

Use streptomycin to spray, add in chrysanthemum ester insecticide for control of cabbage butterfly.

5.4, Botrytis Disease

Use procymidone powder, add in leaf surface fertilizer and chryssanthemum ester insecticide, to spray evenly in the afternoon in sunny day.

5.5, Aphid

Use imidacloprid for control

 

6, Harvest

Do not ripen the fruit, let it maturate naturally. This is fit for non-pollution production, and will improves the quality and effectiveness.