Sheltered Tomato

The sheltered tomato crop

The culture of tomato (Lycopersicon exculentum Mill) belongs to the botanical family Solanaceae and is native to South America. It is an annual plant whose consumed part is the ripe fruit. The flowers are perfect. For better production, pollination must be ensured by bumblebees (4 hives / ha). The vegetable has good nutritional value; it is rich in P, vitamin A and C. The tomato has a favorable influence on the functioning of the kidneys and digestive system.

In Morocco, the main production regions are the Souss Massa, El Oualidia, El Jadida and Casablanca for early and the rear crop season. Most greenhouses are located on the coast.

Pedoclimatic preferences:

Tomato is a warm season crop. The germination of zero is 12 ° C. The optimum root growth is 15- 18 ° C. In fruit growing phase, the optimum ambient temperature is 25 ° C day and 15 ° C at night. Preferences soil types are very broad. The soil must be well ventilated and draining. The waterlogging, even temporarily is detrimental to culture. The organic matter content of the soil should be quite high (2-3%) to obtain good yields. The optimum pH of the soil is 5,5 6,8. The culture tolerates salinity and boron. She responds well to an intake of Zinc in case of deficiency this element.

Varieties, sowing and planting:

The main varieties used in Morocco are Daniela (Hi-Tech) in the absence of nematodes; Gabriela (H- Tech) in case of presence of nematodes. Other varieties are available on the market: Madrila (Agrimatco); Clx, with different numbers (clause) ... The varieties are constantly evolving; it is recommended to follow this development in the market to take advantage of new breeders.

Sexual propagation is by seed. Sowing is in the nursery. The number of seeds per gram of seed is 250-350. The nursery should be sheltered (delta 9 or tunnel Socodam; greenhouse Canarian ...). It is advisable to use the plug trays to make seeding (11 x 7 = 77 lumps / tea trays and 300 / ha). The soil is first covered by a plastic mulch, preferably in black or green to avoid weeds and contamination of seedling roots from the soil. After filling the cavities with peat, the seedlings is carried out accurately because of seed per cell; it is advisable to cover the trays, originally arranged in paired bands, for a transparent thin plastic film (20 microns). This plastic will be removed after germination of seed.

During the period of germination-emergence, the care of plants are: watering with clean water (preferably warm in the Tadla), foliar spray fertilizer and treatment against the enemies of culture (fungicide and insecticide) . Particular caution rodents (mice and rats) must be made from planting to emergence; the dose of the seed should be increased in case of the presence of rodents in the operation (use of 80 to 100 g seed / ha field). The interesting planting period in the Tadla is the month of June

Pollination requires the installation of 4 hives / ha bumblebees floral period and during the pickings. For planting, upon installation of the nursery, we must begin to prepare the ground to receive the seedlings. The land must be plowed, leveled and disinfected in case of presence of nematodes (if the threshold of nematodes in the soil is not dangerous, disinfection should be avoided since it is expensive and damaging to the environment in case of Use of Methyl Bromide). Various other soil disinfectants are available in Morocco (solarization, metam sodium, Nemacur ...). Tadla region is known by the winter cold frost susceptible and the hardness of the culture conditions during the winter. In order to bring an early production area, it is necessary to make additional spending sacrifices in terms of heat shields and double protection by Nantes Canaries tunnels under greenhouses or under high tunnels delta 9 and Socodam. These physical protection devices are possible and feasible in the region. The planting period is July and August. Culture can be prolonged until the month of May to June of the following year. The planting density of 22,000 plants / ha under high tunnels and 16,000 to 18,000 plants / ha greenhouse Canarian (field loss under eaves). The arrangement of plants in the field is 1 mx 0.3 m.

Irrigation:

Under cover, it is advisable to use the drip-drip. Irrigation must be continuous. Avoid jerking of inflows to safeguard plant vigor and quality of trained fruit. The water needs of the crop may be covered by contributions of 25% of the overall needs during the vegetative phase, 50% during the peak of the pickups and 25% in the last phase of the culture. The soil should always be brought to its field capacity. An error in the conduct of irrigation causes the fruit bursting. With additional equipment (pump and metering bins), it is easy to introduce in fertigation operation. Water supplies and minerals will be provided at a rate allowing the culture to develop properly; fertilizer by leaching losses will be brought to their minimum.

Fertilization:

A bottom intake includes 50-60 t / ha of manure and mineral fertilizers where the dose should be determined according to the richness of the soil; generally one brings 100 kg N / ha + 200 kg P2O5 / ha + 250 kg / K2O. Cover, fortnightly, contributions are: in vegetative phase, 50 kg N / ha with a balance of N-P2O5-K2O of 1-0,5-0,9. In a period of early flowering, the contribution is: 30 kg N / ha with a 1-0,4-1,2 balance. In times of pickings, the following balance must be adopted: 1-0,3- (1.8 to 2) with a dose of 30 kg N / ha. During culture, foliar fertilizer sprays must be applied regularly every month or when necessary. Where fertigation is used, the same doses may be made by dividing by 15 days in order to adapt them to daily intakes.

Main enemies of culture and Controls:

Should be monitored nematodes, wireworms, cutworms, aphids, leaf miners, mites in hot weather, fungal diseases and bacterial blight. Phytosanitary treatments must be applied as a preventive measure to avoid the attack of pathogens. It should, however, avoid excess to save the environment and save expenses. Pesticides should be rotated to prevent the phenomenon of habituation to crop enemies.

Other treatments:

The care given to the protected culture are replacing missing after planting, trellising plants leaving a sufficient length of the coil string that can be used later in sleeping, size (pinch, budding), weeding, ridging especially in cases of moderate nematode attack.

Harvesting, handling product and good storage conditions:

The collection can be phased in over six months (November to May). The picked fruit must be handled with care to avoid injury. The yield varies from 120-150 t / ha depending on the quality of the interview devoted to culture. In case of late season sheltered culture, arrested in December to be followed by another culture (French beans or melon), the yield rarely exceeds 50 -60 t / ha. Regarding conservation, we must remember that tomatoes produced under protection must be sold fresh. During transport to a remote area, it is advisable to store the fruit in a cool (8- 10 ° C and 90% RH) pending shipment.

Agronomic and Veterinary Institute Hassan II