Tomato Production Research Articles

Assessment of local plant materials for the management of nematode (Nematoda) infestation in tomato (Lycompersicum esculentus) production

Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentus) is an important global vegetable crop that contributes to nutrient security. Production of this crop is constrained by many factors of which nematode (Nematoda) infestation is observed to be quite threatening. The efficacy of three local plant materials namely: Neem (Azadirachta indica), Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) and African marigold (Tagetes erecta) were assessed to suppress soil infested nematode for management strategy. This was achieved by conducting field trials at Lower Nursery, Njala campus through establishment of experimental plots of tomato host plant in a factorially Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates in each treatment, repeated twice in 2022 and 2023. Data were collected on percentage survival rate, morphological parameters, phenology and yield parameters of tomato host plant respectively. The Data collected were analyzed using Statistical Analysis System (SAS). Differences between mean values of the various parameters were determined by two-way ANOVA analysis while significantly different means were separated using the Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) test at p ≤ 0.05 level of significance. Azadirachta indica and Chromolaena odorata treatments proved to be highly effective in managing nematode in tomato production. Azadirachta indica and Chromolaena odorata treatments were the most efficient in managing nematodes among the options tested, as they recorded the highest percentage survival rates, agronomic parameters and shorter durations for both flowering and fruit setting compared to other treatments. Moneymaker and Mongal tomato varieties generally showed better survival rates, growth parameters and higher yields to Roma tomato variety. The neem treatment showed its extraordinary effectiveness with the highest survival rate as a percentage. This therapy is the most effective at suppressing nematodes among all those studied. With a higher percentage survival rate, the greatest fruit number and weight, and an effective treatment, Siam weeds have been demonstrated to be a viable substitute for neem. The neem and Siam weed therapy proved to be more beneficial than the marigold therapy, despite its mediocre success.

Comparative Evaluation of Tomato Varieties: A Comprehensive Analysis of Yield Attributes

This article presents a comprehensive comparative evaluation of tomato varieties. The study focused on key yield attributes, including plant height, fruits per cluster, fruit diameter, fruit length, yield per hectare, days to 50% flowering, and maturity. Significant variations in plant height were observed among the varieties. Monoprecos had the tallest plant height (125.73 cm), while 2-HRDTOM035 was the shortest (83.26 cm). The number of fruits per cluster varied, with HRD109 producing the most (7.33) and HRDTOM084 the least (3.86). HRDTOM084 excelled in fruit dimensions, having the largest fruit diameter (19.88 mm) and fruit length (5.94 cm), whereas HRD109 showed the smallest diameter (10.16 mm). Yield per hectare also differed significantly, with HRDTOM084 delivering the highest yield (11.06 t/ha), and 2-HRDTOM035 recording the lowest (4.84 t/ha). The study also analyzed days to 50% flowering, revealing HRDTOM084 as the slowest to flower (48.60 days) and Monoprecos as the quickest (30.60 days). Days to maturity mirrored these results, with HRDTOM084 taking the longest to mature (93.73 days). In comparison, earlier studies with nine open-pollinated and hybrid varieties in other regions, such as Khajura and Lumle, revealed similar patterns in yield and growth, confirming the genetic diversity in tomato production. Overall, HRDTOM084 emerged as the most promising variety for commercial cultivation due to its superior yield, fruit size, and productivity, while Monoprecos and 2-HRDTOM035 may be suitable for environments that require shorter growth cycles. This review highlights the importance of selecting tomato varieties based on specific traits, such as plant height, yield potential, fruit quality, and adaptability to local growing conditions, to optimize production. Future research could focus on enhancing disease resistance and studying performance under different climatic conditions to further improve tomato cultivation practices in Nepal.

A Comparative Growth Trend Study of Tomato in Jaipur and Sirohi District of Rajasthan, India

Tomato (Licopersicon esculentum) is an important crop that contributes economically and significantly to horticulture production. T The study was conducted for the period of 12 year in Jaipur and Sirohi districts of Rajasthan to analyze the growth rate in area, production, and productivity from 2010-11 to 2021-22. (Department of Horticulture, Government of Rajasthan-2022-23). For analyzing the trend in area production and productivity of tomatoes in Jaipur and Sirohi district, and Rajasthan state the following linear, semi-log, and exponential functions were tested. The tested model were selected based on high R2 (Coefficient of determination) and the best-fit function was used for the result discussion. Semi-log function was best function for the area, production and productivity of Rajasthan. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for area of Rajasthan was found 1.76 percent, with 0.46 R2. The production and productivity show 9.91 and 8.15 percent growth rate. The semi-log function was also best fit the area and production of Tomato in Jaipur district with 4.58 and 15.94 percent annual growth respectively. The linear function was fitted for the productivity that shows 17.20 percent CAGR with 0.39 percent R2. The area of tomato in Sirohi district shows highest fluctuation due to this an exponential function was shows poor fits for calculate the growth rate this function shows 0.01 percent compound annual growth rate. The exponential function was best fit for the production and productivity with 0.41 and 0.31 R2 respectively. The exponential function show 11.24 percent growth rate, which was significant at 5 percent level. The productivity show 12.25 percent compound annual growth rate with 10 percent level of significance. Thus the productivity shows highest compound annual growth rate followed by Production and area in Jaipur and Sirohi district of Rajasthan, while in Rajasthan, production shows highest growth rate followed by productivity and area. According to the findings, the result suggest for the introduction of high yield varieties of tomato may increase the productivity in Rajasthan.

Natural Bactericidal Effects of Psoralea glandulosa Essential Oil for the Control of Bacterial Canker and Speck in Tomato

Bacterial canker and bacterial speck are diseases affecting tomato caused by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, respectively. These diseases are considered a serious threat with a strong impact on tomato production and marketing worldwide, especially because of their reduced sensitivity to traditional controls. This work reports the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) of Psoralea glandulosa and investigates its in vitro antimicrobial activity, along with its main compound, against three strains of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (CmVC533, CmVLC78, and CmVQ59) and one strain of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst). The results indicate that both the EO and bakuchiol have significant antibacterial capacity, especially the EO, which reaches a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) between 4–16 µg/mL and 128 µg/mL, and a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) between 8–16 µg/mL and 128 µg/mL for the strains of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis and P. syringae pv. tomato, respectively. The EO and bakuchiol also had an inhibitory effect when applied directly onto plates seeded with C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis. Overall, the results from this study should be verified in the near future by in vivo studies.

Comparative genomic analysis uncovered phylogenetic diversity, evolution of virulence factors, and horizontal gene transfer events in tomato bacterial spot Xanthomonas euvesicatoria

IntroductionBacterial spot, caused by diverse xanthomonads classified into four lineages within three species, poses a significant threat to global pepper and tomato production. In Taiwan, tomato bacterial spot xanthomonads phylogenetically related to an atypical Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. perforans (Xep) strain NI1 from Nigeria were found.MethodsTo investigate the genetic structure of Taiwanese Xep strains and determine the phylogenetic position of the atypical strains, we completed high-quality, gap-free, circularized genomes of seven Taiwanese Xep strains and performed comparative genomic analyses with genomes of X. euvesicatoria pathovars. Average nucleotide identity, core genome analysis, and phylogenomic analysis were conducted.ResultsThree sequenced strains were identified as typical Xep, while four clustered with the atypical strain NI1, forming a distinct genomovar within X. euvesicatoria, proposed as X. euvesicatoria genomovar taiwanensis (Xet). This new lineage likely originated in Taiwan and spread to Nigeria through global seed trade. At the genomovar level, chromosomes remained conserved among Taiwanese strains, while plasmids likely contributed to bacterial virulence, avirulence, and field fitness. Gap-free genomes revealed associations between the evolution of type III effectors, horizontal gene transfer events, plasmid diversity, and recombination.DiscussionThis study highlights the critical roles of horizontal gene transfer and plasmids in shaping the genetic makeup, evolution, and environmental adaptation of plant pathogenic xanthomonads. The identification of a new genomovar, X. euvesicatoria genomovar taiwanensis, provides insights into the diversity and global spread of bacterial spot pathogens through seed trade.

Cost and Return Analysis of Tomato Cultivation in Three Different Districts of Bangladesh

This paper attempts to analyze the costs, return and production problems of tomato in three districts namely Gazipur, Rangpur and Cumilla in Bangladesh. It is necessary to enunciate that through purposive sampling technique, the data were collected from 225 tomato cultivators of Cumilla and Rangpur districts. Human labour, fertiliser, bamboo sticks, thread, seeds and seedlings, ploughing, irrigation, insecticides and pesticides, hormone, etc. are all necessary for the production of tomatoes. Transport expenses must be taken into account as well. Together, the aforementioned elements were taken into account to estimate the cost of tomato production. Every data set was subjected to statistical and economic analysis, with validated outcomes via a series of tables. Numerous issues affect farmers, and this study sheds insight on this situation. The findings showed that the total cost was highest in Gazipur (Tk.333,800/ha) than that of Rangpur ( Tk. 304,600/ha) and Cumilla ( Tk.282,670/ha). Gross returns from tomato in Cumilla and Rangpur were Tk. 234,942/acre and Tk. 212,213/acre respectively. The net returns were found higher in Gazipur (Tk. 206,200/ha) than that of Rangpur (Tk. 135,400/ha) and Cumilla (Tk. 97,330/ha). Based on overall costs, the Gazipur, Rangpur and Cumilla districts' benefit cost ratios for tomato production per hectare were determined to be 1.60,1.40 and 1.30, respectively. The most notable limitations in were the high cost of inputs, the absence of storage facilities, price fluctuations, and damage from insects and diseases.

Processing, Value Addition and Post-Harvest Technology of Tomato: A Scoping Review on Global and Indian Perspective

India, with its favorable climatic conditions, is a major producer of tomatoes, ranking second globally. However, the tomato processing sector in India is underdeveloped, with only 1% of the produce being processed compared to developed nations such as Italy (64.02%), Spain (39.41%) and the United States (10.34%). Of the more than 180 million tonnes of tomatoes produced annually, around 40 million tonnes are processed. India's substantial tomato output, which occurs primarily in the winter, has made it a prominent participant in the global tomato processing industry. This would help the Indian market utilize tomato-based goods throughout the off-season. Lycopene, a beneficial compound, is found to be higher in processed tomato products compared to fresh tomatoes. Prominent companies in the Indian tomato processing industry include Hindustan Unilever, Nestle India, Mother Dairy, and Dabur India. Despite the potential, the sector faces challenges such as inadequate processing facilities and limited varieties suitable for processing, leading to substantial post-harvest losses. The demand for tomato-processed products in India has been increasing at 30% annually in recent years, with a rising variety of products being offered. Increased support, improved supply chain management, and adoption of advanced processing techniques could reduce wastage, add value, and enable India to become a prominent player in the global tomato processing industry. With the adoption of modern technologies such as automated sorting, grading, and cold storage facilities, the efficiency of the tomato processing industry can improve. This would reduce post-harvest losses and ensure better quality control.

Urine luck: Environmental assessment of yellow water management in buildings for urban agriculture

The increasing global demand for agricultural production poses challenges to maintain the needs for critical fertilizers such as nitrogen. This study explores the potential of human urine as a source of renewable nitrogen for fertilizer production. Through a life cycle assessment, three different urine management strategies were compared: (S1) an artificial wetland, (S2) an on-site lab-scale aerobic reactor for nitrogen recovery, and (S3) a centralized wastewater treatment plant. While scenario S2 had the highest impacts in 6 out of 8 categories, an advantage in marine eutrophication was identified. S2 showed high energy demand (750 kg MJ-eq) and ecotoxicity (602 kg 1.4-DCB-eq.) mainly due to energy requirements. Nitrogen production exceeded 2.3 times the yearly nitrogen demands of the building tomato production. Upscaling S2 reduces impacts up to 2 times, lowering the payback time from 29 to 13 years. Therefore, implementing large-scale nitrogen recovery systems in cities is encouraged.

Enhanced pollen tube performance at high temperature contributes to thermotolerant fruit and seed production in tomato.

Rising temperature extremes during critical reproductive periods threaten the yield of major grain and fruit crops. Flowering plant reproduction depends on the ability of pollen grains to generate a pollen tube, which elongates through the pistil to deliver sperm cells to female gametes for double fertilization. We used tomato as a model fruit crop to determine how high temperature affects the pollen tube growth phase, taking advantage of cultivars noted for fruit production in exceptionally hot growing seasons. We found that exposure to high temperature solely during the pollen tube growth phase limits fruit biomass and seed set more significantly in thermosensitive cultivars than in thermotolerant cultivars. Importantly, we found that pollen tubes from the thermotolerant Tamaulipas cultivar have enhanced growth invivo and invitro under high temperature. Analysis of the pollen tube transcriptome's response to high temperature allowed us to define two response modes (enhanced induction of stress responses and higher basal levels of growth pathways repressed by heat stress) associated with reproductive thermotolerance. Importantly, we define key components of the pollen tube stress response, identifying enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and pollen tube callose synthesis and deposition as important components of reproductive thermotolerance in Tamaulipas. Our work identifies the pollen tube growth phase as a viable target to enhance reproductive thermotolerance and delineates key pathways that are altered in crop varieties capable of fruiting under high-temperature conditions.

Tomato productivity as a function of the product thermal efficiency and photosynthetic active radiation

Tomato productivity as a function of the product thermal efficiency and photosynthetic active radiation

Headspace and Viscosity: Key Factors in the Thermal Processing of Tomato Paste (A CFD Study)

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the effects of headspace conditions (absence of headspace, full air, and full steam) and product viscosity (Brix values of 18 and 28) on the thermal processing of canned tomato paste. The results show that the presence of an air layer within the can's headspace significantly influences the temperature profile and the location of the slowest heating zone (SHZ), without markedly affecting the overall temperature magnitude. The Brix values, which indicate the paste's viscosity, are found to be crucial factors in heat transfer, with lower Brix values promoting convection and higher values favoring conduction. The average velocity for Brix 18 was approximately 10 times higher than that for Brix 28. Among the three main color parameters, the a* index experienced the most significant changes (maximum drop of 67%), while the b* index showed the least variation (maximum drop of 22%) during processing. The time required to reduce the number of bacteria to 10−6 CFU/g at the cold point of tomato paste cans was 28% higher in the product with Brix 18 compared with Brix 28. These findings underscore the importance of considering headspace conditions and product viscosity to optimize thermal processing methods, thereby enhancing the safety and quality of canned tomato products.

The Effects of Tomato Intercropping with Medicinal Aromatic Plants Combined with Trichoderma Applications in Organic Cultivation

To increase biodiversity in tomato cultivation, two herbal aromatic plants, thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), were introduced as companion plants. Their role was to improve crop plant growth and stress resistance. Moreover, the effect of the soil application of Trichoderma microbial preparations on tomato growth parameters and yield, in combination with companion plants, was studied. Ligno-cellulose multi-layer microcapsules with Trichoderma atroviride TRS14 spores (MIC14) and the commercial preparation Trianum G (TG) were used as microbial preparations. This experiment was carried out in a certified organic field. Tomato plants were intercropped with thyme or basil in the arrangement of two tomato rows alternating with one herbal row. In all intercropping arrangements and in the control (tomato plants grown without herbs), subplots were sectioned. The soil in the subplots was amended with the MIC14 and TG preparations used at a concentration of 104 spores g−1 of the soil and planted with tomato transplants. No control measures were applied during tomato growing, and the plants were naturally infected with late blight. Tomato plant growth parameters and yield were assessed, and late blight severity was monitored. The degree of soil colonization by Trichoderma fungi and the effect of these applications on soil microbial activity and biodiversity (dehydrogenases activity, EcoPlates AWCD, and Shannon index) were evaluated. The results clearly showed a significant influence of thyme and basil on tomato growth and yield in organic production. The cultivation of thyme adjacent to tomatoes had a beneficial effect on the development of the root system and the number of flowers and fruits on the crop plants. Basil, on the other hand, clearly decreased tomato yield and adversely affected the effect of Trichoderma applications by reducing root system development. Moreover, basil as a companion plant increased late blight symptoms. Both Trichoderma strains colonized soil, but they had no significant effect on the microbial activity or metabolic potential measured on the EcoPlates with the use of the BIOLOG system. However, a decrease in dehydrogenases activity was noted. In organic cultivation, the Trichoderma preparations used had no significant effect on tomato yield, opposite to its increase in integrated tomato production.

Effect of Black Soldier Fly Larvae Frass as Organic Fertilizer on Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life of Open-field-grown Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.)

Open-field-grown tomatoes in Saudi Arabia are stressed by poor soil fertility because of the low organic matter content, low nutrient availability, and high pH. Thus, high chemical fertilizer inputs are crucial for commercial production; however, they cause economic loss as well as negatively affect environmental sustainability. The use of efficient organic fertilizers would be useful for developing more cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable agriculture. The current study evaluated the impact of Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) frass (BSFF) fertilizer applications as organic fertilizer on postharvest fruit quality and shelf life of open-field-grown F1 hybrid ‘Sinag Tala’ tomatoes compared with those grown under control treatment (received recommended doses of chemical fertilizers for tomato production under open field conditions). The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The results showed that the application of BSFF fertilizer, especially at the higher rate (5 ton/ha; BSFF3), improved the overall quality of tomato fruit. The BSFF fertilizer treatments reduced weight loss, maintained higher firmness, antioxidants [vitamin C, total phenol content (TPC) and total flavinoid (TFC)], total soluble solids (TSS), and titratable acidity (TA) contents, and lowered the TSS/TA ratio of fruits during shelf life compared with those of the control. The decay incidence was only detected after 9 days of shelf life and was significantly lower in all the BSFF fertilizer treatments (range, 8.40%-12.05%) than in the control (15.9%). In addition, BSFF fertilizer treatments reduced both disease incidence and severity of gray mold following pathogen inoculation during shelf life compared with those of the control. These results might be attributable to the higher antioxidants content (vitamin C, TPC, and TFC) and higher polyphenol oxidase activity in BSFF-fertilized tomatoes. In conclusion, BSFF fertilizer could be used as a potential eco-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers to improve tomato fruit quality during shelf life.

Severity and Reaction to Bacterial Spot of Tomato Hybrids For Industrial Processing

ABSTRACTThe complexity of phytosanitary control for bacterial spot disease is a major challenge in tomato production for industrial processing. The climatic conditions in Goiás and the number of species causing the disease make this management difficult. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the severity and reaction to bacterial leafspot of sixteen tomato hybrids for industrial processing under the Cerrado conditions in Goiás. The experiment was carried out in randomised blocks, with sixteen tomato hybrids for industrial processing with five replicates, in Hidrolândia‐GO. Once the bacterial spot presence in the area was verified, a severity assessment was performed weekly with a diagrammatic scale, totalling five assessments. The area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) was calculated. At 115 days after transplanting (DAT), harvesting was performed manually, and vegetative development, yield, number of fruits with Xanthomonas spp. symptoms and scalding by the sun. Bacterial spot symptoms were observed in all hybrids evaluated. Above all, the symptoms observed in the fruits and leaves do not coincide with the hybrid showing the greatest disease severity. The hybrid CVR 6116 had the highest yield, lowest AUDPC and the lowest number of fruits with bacterial‐spot and sunscald damage symptoms.

Plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria for sustainable tomato production

Numerous phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) are found in the rhizosphere, benefiting the host plant in different mechanisms and promoting sustainable agriculture. They improve soil fertility with minimum cost requirements using an eco-friendly approach, which is an essential attribute for small-scale farm production. Thus, isolation, characterization, and evaluation of symbiotic effectiveness are hierarchical procedures to develop bioinoculants. Using a dual (plate and liquid medium) screening technique and a greenhouse trial, four potential PSB strains (Mk-1–25, Mk-13–16, Mk-20–7, and Mk-20–20) were selected from tomato rhizosphere soil. All isolates exhibited the following traits: produced colony clear-zone, lowered liquid medium pH, gram-positive, produced urease and IAA, dissolved substantial P from various substrates, symbiotically effective, and improved tomato growth and yield. Taxonomically, they belong to Bacillus and Priestia species (i.e., Mk-1–25 Bacillus halotolerance, Mk-13–16 Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Mk-20–7 Bacillus megaterium, and Mk-20–20 Priestia megaterium). Among the current strains, Bacillus halotolerance recorded higher SI (3.11), was able to grow in extreme conditions (10% salt, up to 45 °C), produced HCN and siderophore, and improved tomatoes’ shoot length and weight, in contrast, Mk-20–20 produced HCN, siderophore, was able to fix nitrogen, improved tomato germination, shoot dry weight, and fruit weight. Various P-supplements (Ca3(PO4)2, bonemeal, FePO4, AlPO4, compost, and DAP fertilizer) were added to induce tomato-strain symbiotic interaction; hence, compost substantially promoted the interaction and resulted in higher symbiotic effectiveness. Ca3(PO4)2 was a good media composite preferred by most PSB strains; consequently, a higher concentration (219 µg/ml) of dissolved P was recorded from the liquid medium after 10 days of incubation than other substrates. Based on the data obtained from laboratory and greenhouse trials, the current strains were found to be potential candidate. Future work should confirm their efficacy at the field level using model host crops at different sites to recommend them as farm inputs and biofertilizer.

RESPONSE OF SUMMER TOMATO WITH EXOGENOUS APPLICATION OF SALICYLIC ACID AND CALCIUM

A pot experiment was carried out at Horticulture Farm, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka May to September, 2016 to evaluate the performance of summer tomato production with the supplementation of salicylic acid (SA) and calcium (Ca). The experiment consisted of two factor. Four different levels of SA (S1 = 0 mM SA, S2 = 0.3 mM SA, S3 = 0.6 mM SA, S4 = 0.8 mM SA) and three levels of Ca (C1 = 0 mM Ca, C2 = 4 mM Ca, C3 = 8 mM Ca). Both morphological traits and yield of summer tomatoes were significantly affected by the application of SA and Ca. Exogenous application of SA and Ca influenced the growth including plant height, leaf number, branch number, yield contributing characters and yield. The combined supplementation of 0.8 mM SA and 8 mM Ca resulted the highest yields (0.8 kg/plant) where lowest one (0.3 kg/plant) was recorded from the control treatment (without SA and Ca). These results suggest that SA and Ca can improve the growth and yield of tomatoes during the summer season by alleviating the detrimental effects of extreme heat in the summer.

RESPONSE OF LIQUID MANURES AS ALTERNATIVE NUTRIENT ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF TOMATO

An experiment was conducted on response of Liquid Manures as alternate nutrient on growth and yield of tomato at the Horticulture Farm, Department of Horticulture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from November 2023 to March 2024. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments were used in the study were T1; Control, T2; Vermi Tea, T3; SAU-MLM, T4; SAU-NLM, T5; SAU-PLM and T6; RFD (Recommended Fertilizer Dose). In this study, the treatments showed significant variation on growth and yield of tomato production. The tallest plant (109.63cm), highest number of leaves per plant (25.0), maximum fruit weight (127.2g), maximum fruit weight per plant (3.48kg), maximum yield per plot (20.8kg) and maximum yield per hector (56.5t/h) were recorded with treatment T6 (RFD) and it was statistically identical with treatment T5 (SAU-PLM). Whereas the minimum plant height (92.03 cm) and number of leaves per plant (17.0), lowest fruit weight (62.8g), lowest fruit weight per plant (1.53kg), lowest yield per plot (9.1kg) and lowest yield (22.9t/h) were recorded in T1 (Control). Furthermore, treatment 5 (SAU-PLM) produced highest brix (5.7), that is highest sweetness tomato were produced with T5 treatment. That’s why it can be said that different liquid manure has good impact on growth and yield of tomato with environment friendly impact.

Evaluation of Newly Released Open Pollinated Tomato Varieties for Yield and Yield Components Performance in Northwestern Zone of Tigray

Tomato is one of the most important horticultural cash crops in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. However, tomato production and productivity is limited by several factors such as disease and pests, lack of improved varieties and poor agronomic practice. Therefore, field experiment was conducted in 2017 and 2018 irrigation season to select and identify the best and high yielder tomato varieties. Seven improved Open Pollinated Variety namely; Gelilama, Mersa, Sirinka-I, Woyno, Tekeze-1, Melkashola and Melkasalsa were tested for their yield and yield performance. Significant differences were observed among the varieties across locations. The current findings showed that the highest marketable yield was obtained from Gelilama (55.58 t ha-1) & (49.59 t ha-1) followed by Melkasalsa (49.42 & 45.81 t ha-1) in Tselemti and M/zana woreda’s respectively. Based on the current study Gelilama and Melkasalsa varieties had given higher yield in both locations. Therefore, Gelilama and Melkasalsa varieties should be recommended for demonstration and scale-up in the study areas.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Trichotylenchus dispersus (Nematoda: Dolichodoridae), a Newly Recorded Plant-Parasitic Nematode in the Rhizosphere Soil of Tomato Plants in Thailand

Trichotylenchus sp. is a migratory ectoparasitic nematode (PPN) that causes hypoplasia disease symptoms in economic plants, such as maize and banana. In this study, soil samples were collected from 6 locations in a tomato field in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand, for the purpose of nematode extraction using the Cobb’s sieving and flotation-centrifugation techniques. Morphological and molecular characterization of the collected PPN identified it as Trichotylenchus sp., a PPN not previously found in Thai tomato fields. Morphologically, the nematode has a C-shaped body, a rounded lip region, robust stylet and dorsal gland orifice located 2.0 ± 0.5 µm from the base of basal knobs. The tail is conically shaped, and the cuticle exhibits annulations with 3 incisures in the lateral field. The morphological characteristics observed closely matched Trichotylenchus sp. To confirm the identity, diagnosis was done using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) molecular technique. Nematode DNA amplification was conducted with different target genes using primer sets AB28/TW81 for ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and D2A/D3B for D2-D3 region of the 28S rRNA. The PCR amplification showed DNA fragments of approximately 950 and 800 bp, respectively. The sequences obtained were compared with those in the NCBI GenBank, which showed a 98.0 - 99.4 % identity match with Trichotylenchus dispersus specimens previously documented in China. In addition, the phylogenetic trees reiterated a nematode grouping with T. dispersus, 100 % bootstrap value. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of T. dispersus in the soils of tomato field in Thailand. This nematode is likely to become a major factor limiting tomato production yields if not properly managed. HIGHLIGHTS Six plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) were found to be associated with the tomato gown in field. A newly recorded PPN in the genus, Trichotylenchus, found in Thailand, has been documented in this study. Morphological and molecular characterization identified PPN as Trichotylenchus disperses. This is the first report on incidence of dispersus in a tomato field in Thailand. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Social life cycle sustainability assessment of dried tomato products based on material and process selection through multi-criteria decision making.

Tomatoes are a significant product of the Mediterranean region and a crucial component of the Mediterranean diet. The formulation of dried tomato products enriched with proteins and bioactive compounds could be a strategic approach to promote adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Six different novel tomato products were analyzed using different protein enrichment sources (pea proteins and leaf proteins) and drying technologies (hot-air dryer, microwave vacuum dryer, and conventional dryer). The novelty of this approach lies in combining product-specific criteria with global societal factors across their life cycles. Using 21 criteria and an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) survey of experts, the social sustainability score for each product was determined through a multi-criteria assessment. The tomato product's life cycles have minimal regional impacts on unemployment, access to drinking water, sanitation, or excessive working hours. However, they affect discrimination, migrant labor, children's education, and access to hospital beds significantly. The study identified nutritional quality as the top criterion, with the most sustainable design being a tomato bar enriched with pea protein and processed using microwave vacuum drying. The study revealed that integrating sensory and nutrient compounds into social sustainability assessments improves food sustainability and provides a practical roadmap for social life cycle assessments of food products. It emphasized the importance of considering global social issues when reformulating Mediterranean products to ensure long-term adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Incorporating social factors into sustainability scores can also enhance the effectiveness of product information for conscious customers. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.