Tomato Crop Production Research Articles

Beneficial soil fungi enhance tomato crop productivity and resistance to the leaf-mining pest Tuta absoluta in agronomic conditions

Research has shown that soil-borne beneficial microorganisms can enhance plant growth, productivity, and resistance against pests and pathogens and could thus serve as a sustainable alternative to agrochemicals. To date, however, the effect of soil-beneficial microbes under commercial crop production has been little assessed. We here investigated the effect of root inoculation with nine well-characterized bacterial and fungal strains and two consortia on tomato performance under intensive tomato crop management practices. We measured the impact of these root inoculations on plant growth, fruit quality, yield, and pest and pathogen incidence. While most microbial strains showed weak effects, we found that the fungal strains Trichoderma afroharzianum T22 and Funneliformis mosseae significantly increased marketable tomato yield. Moreover, we found that inoculation with most of the fungal strains led to a significant reduction in the incidence of the devastating leaf-mining pest Tuta absoluta, while this effect was not observed for bacterial inoculants. In addition, we found that microbial inoculations did not impact the incidence of introduced natural pest enemies, supporting their compatibility with well-established integrated pest management strategies in horticulture. In summary, the observed general positive effects of soil microbes on tomato yield and resistance reinforce the move toward broader adoption of microbial inoculants in future crop production, ultimately improving agricultural sustainability.

Effect of Different Intensities of Leaf Removal on Tomato Development and Yield

Defoliation (leaf removal or pruning) is a common practice in tomato production that makes crops more manageable, prevents conditions conducive to fungal attack and increases the exposure of the fruit to light, especially in winter conditions. The intensity and frequency of leaf removal on commercial farms often vary according to workforce availability criteria, which makes it difficult to determine their effect on tomato crop yields. It would be reasonable to think that a reduction in leaf area influences radiation interception and, therefore, the production of assimilates and biomass. However, in intensive production systems with a high leaf area index (LAI), leaf pruning can increase radiation interception, either by reducing competition between productive and vegetative organs or by increasing radiation use efficiency. This study was therefore designed to assess the effect of different intensities and frequencies of basal leaf removal on dry matter production and partitioning between the different organs of the plant, and thus on tomato crop productivity. A series of trials were conducted over three consecutive seasons, with a trial conducted per season: (a) Trial 1: leaf removal control—LRC (with leaves removed from the base to two leaves below the truss close to harvest, T0) was compared with LR1 (leaf removal from the base to two leaves below the truss above T0, i.e., T1) and LR2 (two trusses above T0 (T2)); (b) Trial 2: LRC compared with LR2 and LR4 (four trusses above T0 (T4)), carried out at two frequencies; and (c) Trial 3: LRC compared with an intense leaf removal treatment (LRI) whereby between 10 and 12 leaves were left on each stem. LAI saturation values under our conditions were found to be around 2.0. No significant differences in yield were found between the control and treatments LR1, LR2 and LR4, with a reduction in the number of leaves of up to 35% and LAI values during harvest above 2.0. The intense leaf removal treatment (LRI), which reduced the number of leaves by 47% and the LAI value from 2.8 to 1.5 compared to the control, resulted in a 15% reduction in dry biomass and a 17% decrease in fruit yield.

Farmers’ knowledge of technical recommendations related to tomato crop production in Baghdad Governorate/Abu Ghraib district

Farmers’ knowledge of technical recommendations related to tomato crop production in Baghdad Governorate/Abu Ghraib district

Tithonia diversifolia (Asteraceae) as a reservoir of natural enemies to promote pest control and improve development of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in open conditions

ABSTRACT Tithonia diversifolia has the potential for use as a reservoir for entomophages in pest control, as it attracts and preserves natural enemies before migrating to the target crop, where a high incidence of pests occurs. For example, in tomato crop production one of the limiting factors, under field condition, is the incidence of phytophagous insects. We determined the effects of Tithonia diversifolia on species assemblage structure of natural enemies and pest insects (abundance and diversity), plant growth (leaf area, stem length and diameter, number of leaves, flowers and fruits, and fruits weight/per plant), plant defense (leaf thickness and hardness) and fruit colouration on tomato plants in open conditions. Through direct and indirect samplings, a total of 456 insects were collected, comprising 76 natural enemies, 269 pests and 111 belonging other guilds. Length, stem diameter, number of flowers, leaf thickness, and hardness increased, while the number of leaves decreased. T. diversifolia plants increased natural enemies but not pest abundance in tomato plants, demonstrating that this plant can alter the structure of the insect community associated with tomato.

Influence of Irrigation Regime on Total Yield of Tomato Crop and Water Productivity under Drip Irrigation System

Influence of Irrigation Regime on Total Yield of Tomato Crop and Water Productivity under Drip Irrigation System

Potential of Bacillus spp. Consortium for controlling Meloidogyne spp. and enhancing tomato crop production

Introduction: rhizobacteria Bacillus spp. are microorganisms that reside in plant roots that function as biocontrol agents of plant diseases and increase plant growth and yield. Bacillus spp. consortium is a combination of several Bacillus spp. that synergize and do not inhibit each other. The study aimed to obtain the best Bacillus spp. consortium to control Meloidogyne spp. and increase the growth and yield of tomato plants. Methods: This research is experimental using a completely randomized design consisting of 2 stages, namely 1.) Compatibility test of rhizobakteria consortium Bacillus spp. consists of 6 treatments 4 replicates and 2.) Test consortium rhizobakteria Bacillus spp. selected to control Meloidogyne spp. and increase the yield of tomato plants. The observed variables were the development of root swelling by Meloidogyne spp., and the growth of seedling, vegetative, and generative phases. Results: The results showed that testing all isolates of rhizobacteria Bacillus spp. showed compatibility (compatible). Bacillus spp. rhizobacteria consortium can suppress the development of Meloidogyne spp. and showed different results compared to the control. Bacillus spp. rhizobacteria consortium can increase the growth of tomato seedlings and showed different results compared to the control. Bacillus spp. rhizobacteria consortium can increase the growth of tomato plants in the vegetative phase and showed different results compared to the control. rhizobacteria consortium Bacillus spp. can increase the growth of tomato plants in the vegetative phase and shows different results compared to the control. Conclusion: The best rhizobakteria Bacillus spp. consortium in suppressing the development of Meloidogyne spp. and increasing the growth and yield of tomato plants is Bacillus cereus strain RBI2AB2.2 + Bacillus cereus strain RBIKDA2.2.

Elicitors in the production of tomato crop infected with Tomato brown rugose fruit virus and Pepino mosaic virus

Elicitors in the production of tomato crop infected with Tomato brown rugose fruit virus and Pepino mosaic virus

Tomato Leaf Disease Detection Using CNN

One of the structure of economic development is farming involved with niche skills and technologies. More than 25% of total tomato crop production is lost annually because of various plant diseases. The farmers who grow tomatoes face huge economic losses every year, often due to various diseases that can infect tomatoes. The work carried aims to identify these diseases early and accurately, so can be informed well before the damage, which can minimize the waste. Convolution neural network (CNN) techniques, subset of Machine Learning (ML) are demonstrated to be very efficient for image datasets of various complex problems. Specifically, the work is focused to build and train a customized CNN model to classify the leaf images. Here we are using advanced deep learning architectures AlexNet and VGGNet-16 to recognize various diseases from image datasets collected from agricultural sources to develop models. Comparative analysis has resulted an improvement in accuracy by using deep learning architectures and CNN models. These models are responsible for helping to solve distribution problems, checking whether a leaf is healthy or not and, if so, what disease it is. Disease detected early and treated quickly minimizes the cost and improves the quality and quantity of the crop produced.

Responses of Tomato Crop and Water Productivity to Deficit Irrigation Strategies and Salinity Stress in Greenhouse

Saudi Arabia faces water scarcity and inadequate sustainable sources, particularly in agriculture, necessitating efficient irrigation water management to improve productivity amidst rising demand. The study investigated the impact of irrigation levels and water salinity on tomato plants in greenhouses, covering four irrigation levels (100%, 80%, 60%, and 40% of ETc) and three water sources (FW (0.9 dS·m−1), SW (3.6 dS·m−1) and MW (2.25 dS·m−1)). Salinity impacts crop yield, physiological responses, and fruit quality. The photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration, and chlorophyll content decrease with MW and SW, negatively affecting morphological characteristics. For MW, it was recommended to apply 60% deficit irrigation with a yield of 98 kg·ha−1, and water productivity (WP) improved to 21.93 kg·m−3 compared to 13.65 kg·m−3 at full irrigation (FI). In SW, 80% irrigation was suggested, as there was no significant difference in yield compared to FI. For FW, 60% deficit irrigation produced the best water conservation (104.58 kg·ha−1 yield and 23.19 kg·m−3 WP), while FI produced the highest yield per unit area (123.48 kg·ha−1 yield and 16.51 kg·m−3 WP). Nonetheless, greater water and salinity stress was associated with increased fruit quality measures such as total acidity, vitamin C, and soluble solids. The results show that implementing deficit irrigation with salinity strategies in greenhouse tomatoes could improve crop adaptability, yield, and water productivity in the face of water scarcity and salinity variability.

Assessment of recycled treated wastewater for sustainable tomato crop production: A comprehensive review

The availability of water is decreasing, especially in areas where natural water supplies are severely depleted. Of the water uses, agricultural water use accounts are the highest. The reclaimed water or treated wastewater provides nutrients to the crop. It reduces fertilizer application rates therefore gives economic benefits to the farmers. However, the use of reclaimed water for crops is still not well understood, and in some regions not readily accepted due to lack of information on the methods and impacts. Therefore, there is a need to conduct a detailed literature review on the use of reclaimed water for crops from case studies. This paper aims to provide a review of the impacts of treated wastewater on soil properties and tomato based on various parameters. This review also helps to decide physical, chemical, and biological parameters to be tested for soil and fruit while researching the reuse of treated wastewater for agriculture. From the review, it can be concluded that by using treated wastewater as an irrigation source for tomatoes, in most cases, soil fertility increases but the porosity and permeability of soil decreases. In the case of treated wastewater, the crop yield is improved by 21 to 59 %, but there was no significant impact on fruit quality. There was no change observed in the size of fruits but microbial contamination was increased in many cases. This review also concludes that the Heavy Metal Concentration Factor (HMCF) changes with a variety of tomatoes but there is not much variation for the same type of tomato variety when irrigated with wastewater having different quality. Overall, the review suggests that wastewater should be treated, tested and then can be reused for the tomato crop in regions with less water availability.

Bio-synthesized ZnO NPs using cow urine in vitro & in vivo efficacy against late blight pathogen

Biosynthesis of nanoparticles and their use to harvest agricultural products are a brilliant approach for vegetables and crops with large cultivation areas. Phytophthora, an oomycete, is one of the most serious challenges to tomato crop productivity. In this study, ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have been synthesized using cow urine. The X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the hexagonal structure, and symmetry of ZnO NPs have a space group (P63mc). SEM and FTIR identified surface morphology and formation of metal oxide functional groups. A prominent absorption peak executes the electronic transitions from the valence band to the conduction band. In vitro and in vivo efficacy of ZnO NPs, cow urine, and the combination of (CU + ZnONPs) were checked against late blight pathogen (Phytophthora infestans). The role of ROS in ZnO NPs represents by a reduction in the growth inhibition of Phytophthora infestans and the cytotoxic effect of ZnO NPs mediated through ROS.

A Novel Nutrient- and Antioxidant-Based Formulation Can Sustain Tomato Production under Full Watering and Drought Stress in Saline Soil.

As a result of the climate changes that are getting worse nowadays, drought stress (DS) is a major obstacle during crop life stages, which ultimately reduces tomato crop yields. So, there is a need to adopt modern approaches like a novel nutrient- and antioxidant-based formulation (NABF) for boosting tomato crop productivity. NABF consists of antioxidants (i.e., citric acid, salicylic acid, ascorbic acid, glutathione, and EDTA) and nutrients making it a fruitful growth stimulator against environmental stressors. As a first report, this study was scheduled to investigate the foliar application of NABF on growth and production traits, physio-biochemical attributes, water use efficiency (WUE), and nutritional, hormonal, and antioxidative status of tomato plants cultivated under full watering (100% of ETc) and DS (80 or 60% of ETc). Stressed tomato plants treated with NABF had higher DS tolerance through improved traits of photosynthetic efficiency, leaf integrity, various nutrients (i.e., copper, zinc, manganese, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen), and hormonal contents. These positives were a result of lower levels of oxidative stress biomarkers as a result of enhanced osmoprotectants (soluble sugars, proline, and soluble protein), and non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant activities. Growth, yield, and fruit quality traits, as well as WUE, were improved. Full watering with application of 2.5 g NABF L-1 collected 121 t tomato fruits per hectare as the best treatment. Under moderate DS (80% of ETc), NABF application increased fruit yield by 10.3%, while, under severe DS (40% of ETc), the same fruit yield was obtained compared to full irrigation without NABF. Therefore, the application of 60% ETc × NABF was explored to not only give a similar yield with higher quality compared to 100% ETc without NABF as well as increase WUE.

Fruit Yield Loss Assessment of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) due to Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans) Disease in Central Parts of Ethiopia

Tomato is an important vegetable crop grown around the world. Tomato is the most widely cultivated and lucrative vegetable in Ethiopia in particular and in the world in general. It is well known that disease late blight affects tomato crop production and late blight is one of the most devastating diseases of tomatoes worldwide and causes significant loss in production. The objective of this study is to update fruit yield loss assessment data for tomato late blight disease. In this study, 3 treatments were used in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The combined analysis of variance (ANOVA) results for AUDPC and total fruit yield shows significant differences (P<0.05) among treatments. As compared to the unsprayed (control) plot both fungicides significantly controlled the disease at both early and late stage of the crop. The lowest AUDPC (560) was recorded on fungicide Fahem-Gold 72% WP sprayed treatment followed by Mancozeb (752.5). The control treatment (water sprayed) had the highest AUDPC (1592.5). The highest mean fruit yield (16.5 t ha-1) was obtained from fungicide Fahem-Gold 72% WP followed by the standard fungicide (Mancozeb) which gave (8.98 t ha -1) whereas the control treatment gave 4.67 t ha -1. The highest levels of yield loss 71.7% occurred in the unsprayed plots of variety Gulelema as compared to the best protected plot sprayed with Fahem fungicide. Generally, disease and yield parameters indicate that among the two fungicides spray; Fahem was the most effective followed by Mancozeb sprayed plot as compared to unsprayed plots.

Economics of Production and Costs of Tomato Crop in Sharkia Governorate

Economics of Production and Costs of Tomato Crop in Sharkia Governorate

Optimizing Tomato Plant Growth and Yield through Innovative Fertilizer Combinations: A Factorial Group Random Design Approach

This study employed a rigorous Factorial Group Random Design (RAK) method to investigate the synergistic effects of Liquid Complementary Fertilizer (PPC) and NPK Compound Fertilizer on the growth and yield of tomato plants. The research consisted of two key factors: PPC with four dosage levels (control, 3 g/L, 6 g/L, and 9 g/L of water) and NPK Compound Fertilizer with four levels (control, 200 kg/ha, 400 kg/ha, and 600 kg/ha) - all replicated three times. Data on critical plant parameters such as height, leaf count, flower abundance, and fruit production were meticulously gathered and analyzed. Remarkably, the combined application of PPC and NPK exhibited significant enhancements in both growth and yield, surpassing the effects observed from individual applications. Our findings highlight the immense potential of this innovative fertilizer combination in revolutionizing tomato crop production, offering a promising avenue for farmers to meet agricultural demands efficiently.
 Highlights:
 
 Utilized a robust Factorial Group Random Design (RAK) methodology to examine the impact of PPC and NPK Compound Fertilizer on tomato plant growth and yield.
 Investigated various dosage levels of PPC and NPK, each replicated three times for precise data analysis.
 The synergistic effects of the combined application outperformed individual applications, showcasing a promising approach to optimize tomato crop production.

THE TOMATO BROWN RUGOSE FRUIT VIRUS IS RESTRICTED TO SPECIFIC AREAS IN SONORA, MEXICO - A STUDY OF 2021-2022 SEASON

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) has spread worldwide affecting tomato crop production in several countries. Although there are commercial ToBRFV-resistant tomato varieties; still, careful monitoring of its prevalence is necessary for establishing feasible epidemiological control programs. Since Sonora has a strategic geographic location for tomato cultivation and export, studies on the detection and prevention of ToBRFV outbreaks are pertinent as part of the actions to achieve the eradication of this virus. <strong>Objective:</strong> To determine the recent prevalence of ToBRFV in tomato-producing areas of the state of Sonora, Mexico in the period 2021-2022, using a combination of molecular and serological tools. <strong>Methodology:</strong> Samples of tomato leaves and fruits were collected from commercial greenhouses in different regions of Sonora from September 2021 to June 2022. Forty-four tomato leaves and 42 seed samples were analyzed for ToBRFV using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and by direct detection of viral epitopes by immunochromatography. <strong>Results:</strong> 60% and 48% of the samples tested positive for ToBRFV by immunochromatography and RT-qPCR, respectively, showing an exact agreement regarding the samples’ origin. <strong>Implications:</strong> Future research may focus on genomic analysis of viral isolates that would provide clues of ToBRFV propagation speed and emergence of particular viral strains typical of the place of origin. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The presence of ToBRFV in the state of Sonora, Mexico is limited to specific geographic sites, which suggests that local regulations and phytosanitary actions have worked to control the spread of the virus.</p>

An Economic Analysis of the Economic and Technical Efficiency of the Tomato Crop in the Traditional (Open) Cultivation Method in Sulaymaniyah Governorate For The Agricultural Season (2021 - 2022 )

This study aims at an economic analysis of the economic and technical efficiency of the tomato crop by the traditional (open) farming method in Sulaymaniyah Governorate for the agricultural season (2022 -202 1), which is the productive economic relations between inputs and outputs, determining the level of profits and losses, and trying to determine the optimal level through which the best use of economic resources takes place. The study relied on primary data collected from tomato farmers by an intentional sample of several villages and sub-districts in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Kurdistan Region / Iraq. The study concluded that the economic resources used in the tomato production process were not optimally invested, which led to a decrease in the production efficiency of the tomato crop. The study presented several important recommendations that we believe may contribute to improving the economic and technical efficiency of the tomato crop produced by the open cultivation method in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate in the Kurdistan region / Iraq, the most important of which is the presence of an agricultural extension and technical staff specialized in supervising the production of the tomato crop by the open cultivation method and achieving optimal use To the available resources, which is reflected in increasing efficiency in the use of productive resources and improving the efficiency of tomato crop production. This will have an economic impact to improve the reality of food security, reduce the food gap, and increase selfsufficiency in this crop.

Relationship between Tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>) Nutrition and the Severity of the Vascular Fusariosis

The vascular fusariosis is one of the main obstacles in the tomato crop production. Currently, the management of the nutrient solution is presented as a control option for fusariosis, for such reason different nutrient solutions with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) modifications; in four saladette tomato varieties Bony Best (BB), Manapal (M), Walter (W) and FLA were evaluated in this research, in order to analyze the damage caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (FOL) severity. Tomato plants were inoculated with 3 FOL breeds, establishing a completely random design with a factorial arrangement with six repetitions. Disease’s severity was evaluated 30 days after the inoculation using levels of (0 - 4) of the methodology established by Marlatt and Correll (1988). Afterwards, a statistical analysis was done through the Kruskal Wallis test, in which it was observed that treatments 93 (Ca 207 mg∙L-1, R3, variety BB), 95 (207 mg∙L-1 Ca, R3, variety W), 81 (0Ca, R3, BB) showed less disease severity. In the foliar analysis, the best treatments were 22 (193 mg∙L-1 N, R3, M) for N, the greatest P content was treatment 94 (207 mg∙L-1 Ca, R3, M) for K treatment three and 93 (207 mg∙L-1 Ca, R3, variety BB) greatest Ca content.

Prediksi Hasil Produksi Tanaman Tomat di Indonesia Menurut Provinsi Menggunakan Algoritma Fletcher-Reeves

Tomatoes are essential for Indonesians because they have high economic and nutritional value. In addition, as population growth increases, the demand for tomatoes also increases. Based on this, it is essential to research to predict the future development of tomato crop production. The research in this paper uses a dataset of tomato plant production in Indonesia, which is spread across 34 provinces in the last seven years, namely from 2015 to 2021), which is sourced from the Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics and the District/City Agriculture Service of each Province. The algorithm proposed in this study is the Fletcher-Reeves Conjugate Gradient Algorithm which will be processed with the help of Matlab2011b. Research analysis with three network architectural models: 5-7-1, 5-13-1, and 5-17-1. Based on a network comparison of the three architectural models, the best result is the 5-17-1 model because the MSE value is the smallest compared to the other two models, namely 0.0009915 compared to 0.0010851 and 0.0049764, as well as the highest level of accuracy, namely by 94% versus 91% and 88%. Therefore the 5-17-1 model is used to predict the yield of tomato production in Indonesia for the future (2022 and 2023). Based on the prediction results at the end of 2022 and 2023, there are 18 provinces where tomato crop production has the potential to increase, although not too significantly. The prediction of tomato production using the Fletcher-Reeves algorithm is quite good because it produces a small error rate and high accuracy.

Comparative Study of Methane Production in a One-Stage vs. Two-Stage Anaerobic Digestion Process from Raw Tomato Plant Waste

An anaerobic digestion process performed in two stages has the advantages of the production of hydrogen in addition to methane, and of further degradation of the substrate over the conventional process. The effectiveness of the implementation of this system for the treatment of lignocellulosic waste has been demonstrated. In 2020, more than 180 million tons of organic waste were generated worldwide from tomato crop production, posing a serious environmental risk. In the present investigation, methane production was compared in a two-stage system versus one-stage system from non-pretreated tomato plant residues. For this, different temperature (37 and 55 °C) and initial pH (5.5 and 6.5) conditions were evaluated during hydrogenesis and a constant temperature (37 °C, without pH adjustment) during methanogenesis. At the same time, a one-stage treatment (37 °C, without pH adjustment) was run for comparison purposes. The two-stage treatment in which the highest production of hydrogen, 12.4 mL/g VS, and methane, 252.3 mL/g VS, was observed occurred under the conditions of pH 6.5 and at 37 °C. However, this energy production was statistically similar (p < 0.5) to the one-stage treatment (365.4 mL CH4/g VS). Furthermore, there were also no significant differences in the removal of volatile solids between the different treatments.