Evaluation of Tomato Varieties for Pest and Disease Adaptation and Productivity in Botswana

Abstract

Six varieties of tomato were evaluated for pest and disease adaptation and productivity in Botswana.Tomato varieties were planted under a complete randomized block design experiment with fourreplications at farmers’ field in Maun, Botswana (Southern Africa). Tomato varieties were evaluated foryield, nematode and late blight resistance. The quantitative data on yield of tomato and qualitative data onnematode and late blight resistance and farmers perception on the varieties were collected. Inferential anddescriptive statistical methods were used for data analysis where two ways analysis of variance andranking scales were applied. Harvested fruits of tomato were graded into six categories of fruits namely,marketable, small, cracked, cat face, rotten and pest damaged. Tomato variety Zeal produced the highesttotal yield whereas Six Pack variety gave the lowest total yield. Heinz 1370 was the highest severelyaffected tomato variety by nematodes as well as by the late blight disease and thus produced the lowestmarketable fruit percentage. On an average, FA 593 was the least affected variety by nematode and lateblight. None of the six tomato varieties was found resistant to nematode pest and late blight disease.Therefore, there is a need to develop nematode and late blight resistant tomato varieties. Farmers’preferred tomato variety Zeal followed by FA 593. Based on the yield performance, nematode and lateblight resistance rating and the farmer’s perception, Zeal was found to be the best tomato variety followedby FA 593 for pest and disease adaption and productivity in Botswana.