Tomato Farmers Research Articles

Economic impact of planting dates and cultivars on tomato farming in Southern Telangana

Economic impact of planting dates and cultivars on tomato farming in Southern Telangana

Comparative Economics of Open and Protected Tomato Farming in Mid-Hill Zone of Himachal Pradesh

The study analyzed the comparative economics and profitability of tomato cultivation in the mid-hill zone of Himachal Pradesh under both open and protected conditions. The cost of cultivation for 100 m² was higher under protected conditions (?8,678.18) compared to open conditions (?1,358.87). Similarly, gross and net returns were significantly higher under protected cultivation (?22,686 and 14,007.82) than under open cultivation (?3,794.05 and 2,435.19). The break-even point for protected cultivation (?6,258.92) was also considerably higher than for open cultivation (?221.24). The margin of safety for protected cultivation was ?16,427.08 (27.59 per cent), compared to ?3,573.84 (5.82 per cent) for open cultivation. The study recommended promoting modern techniques and providing regular training for polyhouse farmers, given the capital-intensive nature of protected cultivation.

Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Adaptation Strategies of Tomato Producers’ to Climate Change in North West, Nigeria

This work evaluated socio-economic factors influencing adaptability strategy of tomato producers to climate change in North West, Nigeria. Primary data utilized were based on well-designed questionnaire distributed to 100 tomato producers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics adaptability strategy use index, multinomial Logit model, and principal component model. The outcome shows that the average age of tomato producers approximates 44 years. They are literate with an average of 12 years of school education. About 51% of tomato producers had access to credit, and they are smallholder farmers with average of 0.81 hectares of farm land. The major climate change adaptation strategies used by tomato producers and their corresponding indexes include planting of heat and drought tolerant crop (0.9704), use of improved seeds (0.9675), mulching (0.8976), soil and water conservation technique (0.8312), and use of organic manure (0.7917). The significant predictors influencing the choice of low climate change adaptation strategy users include years of school education, age, experience in tomato farming, and income earned from tomato farming. The significant predictors influencing high climate change adaptation strategy users include years of school education, and income earned from tomato farming. The major challenges faced by tomato producers and their corresponding Eigen values include a lack of improved seeds (8.6935), lack of technology (5.93660, lack of processing and storage facilities (3.9274), and lack of capacity building for producers (3.5173). Improved seeds, irrigation facilities, and farm technologies should be made available to tomato producers to combat threats of climate variability and increase productivity.

Pendapatan dan Kelayakan Usahatani Tomat (Solanum lycopersicum L.) di Kecamatan Merdeka Kabupaten Karo

This research aims to determine the level of income and feasibility of tomato farming in Merdeka District, Karo Regency. Determining the research location was carried out purposively. The number of sample farmers was 34 people using the Slovin method. The research results show that on average farmers manage 0.46 Ha of farming land. The largest component of production costs incurred by farmers in tomato farming in Merdeka District is pesticide costs amounting to IDR 13,302,852.92 or 31.76% of the total production costs. Meanwhile, the smallest cost component is the rope cost of IDR 600,000 or 1.43%. The average income of tomato farmers per planting season is IDR. 58,008,029.4 or Rp. 9,668,005 per month. Feasibility of farming with the R/C Ratio value per farmer in tomato farming is 2.385 and the B/C Ratio value is 1.385 which shows that the farming is economically feasible to operate. Keywords: farming, tomatoes, costs, income, feasibility

Implementation of hybrid tomatoes as an effort to increase tomato harvest production

Tomatoes are a horticultural commodity that is widely cultivated, especially in Bandung Regency. Tomato plants are widely cultivated because they have a fairly high economic value and are in demand by the community because of their many health benefits, among them are vitamin and antioxidant content. Currently, tomato production is declining, so education and assistance are needed to increase the potential for results. The target of this activity is tomato farmers in four sub-districts in Bandung Regency. The purpose of this activity is to increase farmers' knowledge in cultivating hybrid tomatoes at various altitudes. The activity started with counseling, field practice, and evaluation of the results of the activity. As a result of this activity, farmers have additional knowledge in appropriate technology for tomato plants in their respective locations. After the evaluation process, tomato production increased significantly, both in terms of quantity and quality, so it had a positive impact on the economic welfare of farmers.

Cherry Tomato Detection for Harvesting Using Multimodal Perception and an Improved YOLOv7-Tiny Neural Network

Robotic fruit harvesting has great potential to revolutionize agriculture, but detecting cherry tomatoes in farming environments still faces challenges in accuracy and efficiency. To overcome the shortcomings of existing cherry tomato detection methods for harvesting, this study introduces a deep-learning-based cherry tomato detection scheme for robotic harvesting in greenhouses using multimodal RGB-D perception and an improved YOLOv7-tiny Cherry Tomato Detection (YOLOv7-tiny-CTD) network, which has been modified from the original YOLOv7-tiny by eliminating the “Objectness” output layer, introducing a new “Classness” method for the prediction box, and incorporating a new hybrid non-maximum suppression. Acquired RGB-D images undergo preprocessing such as color space transformation, point cloud normal vector angle computation, and multimodal regions of interest segmentation before being fed into the YOLOv7-tiny-CTD. The proposed method was tested using an AGV-based robot in a greenhouse cherry tomato farming facility. The results indicate that the multimodal perception and deep learning method improves detection precision and accuracy over existing methods while running in real time, and the robot achieved over 80% successful picking rates in two-trial mode in the greenhouse farm, showing promising potential for practical harvesting applications.

Hydroxycinnamic Acid Oligomers-Based Biostimulant Nurspray® Enhances Tomato Yield, Fruit Quality, and Reduces Blossom-End Rot

Tomato production faces challenges such as high input costs, pests, diseases, and climate change. Biostimulants like Nurspray®, based on hydroxycinnamic acid oligomers, offer a promising solution. This study evaluated the impact of different application timings of Nurspray® on tomato yield and fruit quality under open-field conditions. Four treatments were tested: T1 (control), T2 (Nurspray® at BBCH 19–51), T3 (Nurspray® at BBCH 19–51–61), and T4 (Nurspray® at BBCH 19–23–51). The results showed significant improvements in root development, canopy cover, and flowering for T3 and T4, with root systems increasing by up to 103% in T4 compared to the control. Fruit yield and quality were enhanced, with a reduction in blossom-end rot (BER) incidence to 0% in T3 and T4, compared to 5% in the control. Additionally, T4 produced the highest dry matter content in fruits. The optimal application strategy was three doses of Nurspray® at BBCH 19–23–51, enhancing both yield and fruit quality. This study highlights the potential of Nurspray® as an organic biostimulant in sustainable tomato farming.

RISIKO USAHATANI TOMAT (LYCOPERSICUM ESCULENTUMMILL) DI KECAMATAN LEMBAH GUMANTI KABUPATEN SOLOK (Risks of Tomato (Lycopersicum Esculentum) Farming in Lembah Gumanti District Solok Regency)

This study aims to determine analyze the characteristics of tomato farmers, analyze the income of tomato farmers and analyze the risk level of tomato farming in Lembah Gumanti District, Solok Regency. The method used in this study is quantitative descriptive The analysis used is income, variety, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and lower limit. The respondents who were sampled were 40 farmers with a population of 423 farmers and were selected randomly (proportional random sampling). The results showed that the characteristics of tomato farmers have a productive age of 25 to 48 years, a low level of education, farmers who already have long farming experience. The amount of cash costs incurred by farmers is IDR 6,456,733.33 / MT and the calculated costs are IDR. 4,919,309.63/MT with revenue of Rp 23,608,331.25/MT so that cash income is Rp 17,209,386.82/MT and total income is Rp 12,290,077.19/MT. Tomato farming has a production risk level with a KV value of 10.39, price risk with a KV value of 18.56, and income risk with a KV value of 13.36 with a lower income limit of Rp 10,450,763.47 where this figure will indicate the amount of loss that will be experienced by tomato farmer

FACTORS INFLUENCING ADOPTION OF IMPROVED TOMATO SEED VARIETIES AMONG SMALL-SCALE TOMATO FARMERS IN SOUTH WEST ZONE OF NIGERIA

The study examines factors influencing adoption of improve tomato varieties among small-scale farmers in Southwest Nigeria. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, probit regression, and Likert scales. The findings revealed that 41.4% of the farmers were in their productive years with an average age of 45 years, predominantly male (70.0%), married (81.9%), with small households averaging five members. However, 87.5% had formal education and average of eight years of tomato farming experience. The farmers cultivate an average of 0.63 hectares, indicating small-scale operations. Furthermore, 85.6% of the farmers were not part of cooperatives. The result also shows that 80.0% and 65.0% of the farmers lack access to credit and extension services in the study area. Logic regression model reveal 68.39% probability of adoption of improve tomato seed varieties among farmers. Key factors significantly influencing adoption include age, gender, farming experience, education, access to extension services, market distance, input supply, and specific training. Major challenges include high input cost (73.8%), pests and diseases (55.6%), lack of credit (61.9%), marketing issues (28.8%) and unfavorable weather (18.1%). Therefore, recommendations from the study include strengthening extension services, raising awareness of cooperative membership benefits, and addressing farmers' priorities and needs.

Sustainable energy management for indoor farming in hot desert climates

Achieving food self-sufficiency in hot desert climates requires year-round farming, which is challenging due to extreme weather, water scarcity, and limited arable land. Indoor soil-less farming can mitigate these issues by reducing land and water use but increases operational complexity and electricity needs for cooling, impacting economic sustainability. This paper presents a resource management system using Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) to simplify operations and optimize resources, alongside techno-economic analysis for economic viability. A case study on hydroponic tomato farming in hot deserts demonstrates that beyond a crop yield threshold (24.022 kg/m2), significantly more energy is required for marginal yield increases (e.g., 18% more electricity for a 0.35% yield increase). Despite higher energy use, the techno-economic analysis shows a net present value increase even with unsubsidized electricity. Thus, optimizing energy alongside water and nutrients is crucial for economic sustainability in indoor farming.

Improved Tomato Breeding Lines Adapted to Organic Farming Systems Have Enhanced Flavor, Yield, and Disease Resistance

Most of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) varieties currently used in organic farming were bred for conventional farming, often characterized by high-input use. These varieties do not perform as well in low-input organic systems, generating the need to develop varieties that are adapted to organic management systems. This project focused on improving flavor, disease resistance, and yield, all identified as key traits by organic tomato farmers in the Upper Midwest, USA. Ten advanced tomato breeding lines and two check varieties were developed and evaluated for 16 traits in organic high tunnel systems in 2020 and 2021. The line CSDE-F6.47 averaged 6.32 kg/plant and obtained high flavor intensity and overall flavor scores (3.78 and 3.69 out of 5, respectively). The line JBDE-F5.31 was another outstanding line, with a yield of 5.18 kg/plant, with good flavor intensity (3.32) and overall flavor (2.92) scores. Broad-sense heritability of marketable weight per plant was high (0.91), and the genetic variance was also high, which shows the opportunity to continue to increase the marketable weight in lines with excellent flavor. A significant positive correlation was found between overall flavor and °Brix (0.56), and titratable acidity (0.70), indicating that both measurements can be good predictors of overall flavor. The most promising lines will be further evaluated on-farm to evaluate their potential as releasable varieties.

Intercropping of African Marigold with Tomato for Better Productivity, Pest Control and Economic Returns in Arunachal Pradesh, India

The present study highlights about intercropping of African marigold with tomato for better productivity, pest control and economic returns in Arunachal Pradesh, India. This study was carried out during Rabi season of 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh to find out the best line combination of marigold with tomato. Total three treatments were planted with three replications under Randomized block design. T1 recorded minimum infestation of tomato fruit borer (5.47 %), maximum fruit yield (16.32 t/ha), maximum net return (Rs. 1,53,000), Best B:C ratio (3:1) while T3/control recorded least (18.32%, 14.27 t/ha, rs.1,17,780 and 2:43 respectively). It can be suggested to farmers of Arunachal Pradesh that marigold can be used as a trap crop in tomato farming for better production, yield and economics.

Peluang dan Tantangan Pengembangan Usahatani Tomat dan Pengaruhnya Terhadap Pendapatan Petani di Kecamatan Ruteng Kabupaten Manggarai

Agriculture is a sector that has an important role in the economy in Indonesia. One agricultural commodity that has great potential is horticulture. Horticulture is one of the agricultural subsectors that has the potential to make a major contribution to economic development and plays an important role in the source of farmers' income, trade and employment. This research aims to determine the opportunities and challenges of developing tomato farming and its impact on farmers' income in Ruteng District, Manggarai Regency. The research was conducted in Ruteng District, Manggarai Regency with the consideration that this area is one of the areas for developing tomato horticulture farming. Data collection was carried out by interviewing main and key informants consisting of farmers, heads of farmer groups, agricultural extension workers. Data sources consist of primary data and secondary data. Research result. By taking advantage of supportive climate conditions, optimizing high market demand, managing stable selling prices, and diversifying products, farmers in Ruteng District have a good opportunity to develop tomato farming in a sustainable manner and can improve their standard of living. In facing farming challenges, it is important to have a holistic and integrated approach between governments. in terms of providing technological support, education, access to capital and risk management to help increase productivity, sustainability and income of farmers in Ruteng District. Apart from that, intense assistance to farmers in implementing good agricultural practices will also support increasing crop yields and farmer welfare. With the implementation of the right strategy and continuous support, tomato farming in Ruteng District has great potential to increase productivity, farmer income and contribution to the local economy.

Penggunaan CROPWAT 8.0 untuk Menentukan Kebutuhan Air Irigasi Tanaman Tomat pada Tanah Regosol di Kawasan Ternate Utara, Provinsi Maluku Utara

Tomato is an important crop in Ternate, North Maluku Province, Indonesia. This study aimed to determine the irrigation water requirements for tomato cultivation on Regosol soil in the North Ternate region using the CROPWAT 8.0 model. Climate data, crop data, and soil data were collected and processed using the CROPWAT 8.0 program. The results showed that the irrigation water requirements varied significantly between the rainy and dry seasons. During the rainy season, the total irrigation water requirement ranged from 60 to 107 mm, while in the dry season, it was much higher, ranging from 130 to 187 mm. This difference was primarily due to the low rainfall during the dry season. Simulations of planting at different periods showed relatively minor variations in crop water requirements, reflecting the stable weather conditions throughout the year in Ternate. The findings of this study can assist local tomato farmers in managing irrigation water more efficiently and effectively, thereby improving crop productivity and reducing the risk of water shortage.

RESOURCE USE EFFICIENCY IN IMPROVE HYBRID TOMATO PRODUCTION IN AKWA IBOM STATE, SOUTHERN REGION OF NIGERIA

The study estimates the technical efficiency of tomato farmers in Akwa Ibom State in the Southern Region of Nigeria. One hundred and twenty tomato farmers were randomly selected using multistage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and maximum likelihood estimation of the stochastic Cobb- Douglas production function were used to analyze the collected data. The results of socioeconomic characteristics showed that male farmers dominated tomato cultivation in the region. The majority of farmers were relatively young, educated, and had moderate household size but low social capital accumulation. The empirical results identified seeds, manure, fertilizer, farm size, hired labour and family labour as significant inputs in tomato production. The study found decreasing return to scale in tomato production in the region. An average technical efficiency index of 0.797 was estimated, which corresponds to an efficiency gap of approximately 20.30%. Determinants of technical efficiency were: farming experience, socialization, education, training, farm income, household size and non-farm income. To increase the technical efficiency of tomato farmers, it is recommended that they should be encouraged to join existing cooperatives to obtain production information that would improve their technical efficiency; and providing formal education, especially in rural areas, would encourage tomato farmers to update their knowledge and acquire more skills necessary for efficient management of farm resources.

Effects of input intensification and cost efficiency on the productivity of irrigated tomato farmers in Kaduna State, Nigeria

: A ergonomics a diverse range of production-limiting variables ranging from biophysical to agronomic restrictions, as well as socioeconomic and institutional barriers constrained tomato production. It is pertinent to note that Adoption of contemporary agricultural methods is required for optimal productivity under such limits. This study aims to analyze the effect of input intensification and cost efficiency on the productivity of irrigated tomato farmers in Kaduna state, Nigeria. The study used a cross sectional data of 268 irrigated tomato farmers for 2021 cropping season. Descriptive statistics, net farm income, Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression, Tobit regression model and stochastic frontier cost function were used to analyze the data. The result established that with the net farm income of ₦401,331 ($994.43USD) and return on investment (1.91), tomato production is profitable. The result of OLS regression showed that normalized input intensification (-0.226) is statistically significant at 1% level of probability and is negatively inelastic. This revealed that the input intensification been adopted as a complete package in the study area had negative influence on productivity of tomato. The result of the Tobit model regression showed that the intensity of input use was significantly influenced by the coefficients of age of household head (-0.079), number of extension contact (0.661), farm size (11.257), and distance to input market (0.262). The result of the estimated stochastic frontier cost function showed that costs of labour (0.03), fertilizer (0.35), seed (0.08), agrochemicals (0.06), annual depreciation (0.36) and transportation (0.07) were statistically significant. The inefficiency variables that influenced the cost of the tomato farmers include farm size (0.47), educational status (0.22), access to credit (0.59) and distance to input market (-0.02). The study established that input intensification package adopted by tomato farmers requires modification to enhance tomato productivity in Kaduna state, Nigeria. There is urgent need for training of farmers by extension agent particularly on input intensification, adoption of modern innovations and technologies that could enhance increase output and income.

SSESSMENT OF FACTORS INFLUENCING ADOPTION OF NARICT NEEM ORGANIC FERTILIZER AMONG SMALLHOLDER TOMATO FARMERS IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

This study was designed to assess smallholder tomato farmer’s level of awareness of NARICT neem organic fertilizer as well as to determine the factors influencing its adoption by the smallholder tomato farmers in the study area. Four Local Government Areas (LGAs) were randomly selected from the four ADP zones of the state. One village was randomly selected from each of the four selected LGAs and then 11% of the tomato farmers from each of the four villages were randomly selected to arrive at the sample size of three hundred and fifty (350) tomato formers. Both inferential and descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of data. The mean age of respondents was found to be 42yrs for adopters and 35yrs for non-adopters, 96.9% were males for adopters and 22.1% are females for non-adopters respectively. The mean household size for the non-adopters was 11 persons and 8 persons for non-adopters. 94.3% of the interviewed farmers were aware of the NARICT neem organic fertilizer and 5.7% are not aware of the NARICT neem organic fertilizer. It was therefore concluded that even though about 54.3% of the respondents are aware of NARICT neem fertilizer, only about 45.7 % use it. Also, it was found out that the socio-economic and Institutional characteristics of the farmers have significant influence on the adoption of NARICT neem organic fertilizer. The result shows that socio economic factors such as farming experience, educational level, farm size, age and source of credit significantly influence adoption of the fertilizer...

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Romanian agriculture using renewable energy sources

This paper aims to demonstrate the feasibility, regarding environmental and economical point of view, of a local tomato farm powered by an offshore wind farm for Romanian Black Sea coast, where there are no such projects implemented and just one is foreseen so far. In this regard, both the agricultural farm and the offshore wind farm were dimensioned and using a new methodology proposed in the year 2023 by the World Bank, an environmental analysis of the project was made with estimating the positive effects that occur in the GHG emissions at the implementation of this project. The relationship between energy inputs and farm yields is analysed for two cycles of tomato crops and a comparative evaluation is conducted to emphasise the favourable influence that the implementation of the proposed solution would exert on the carbon footprint of Romania's agriculture sector. The two scenarios considered are Scenario 1 - S1 with tomato farm in the Schitu area (in greenhouses powered by an offshore wind farm, Cycle 1 and in open field, Cycle 2) and Scenario 2 - S2 when the tomatoes are imported from proximate regions. For both cycles, the energy ratio and energy productivity values were calculated, obtaining 0.11 and 0.13 for cycle C1, and 0.67 and 0.84 for cycle C2, respectively. The benefits of the proposed solution presented in S1 are represented by a) enhancing agricultural production by exploiting a renewable energy source with a yearly production of 45.07 GWh; b) reducing the transport distance of tomatoes by 324,057 km; c) promoting the local economy by employing an average of 124 people; d) improving the carbon footprint of Romania's agricultural sector with a reduction of CO2e per year of 43.13%.

Improved nursery practices and farmers’ willingness to adopt heat-tolerant tomatoes under tropical conditions

Heat-tolerant tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L) can be used to alleviate the impact of climate variability, increase productivity, and increase income of smallholder vegetable farmers under tropical conditions. Adoption of improved nursery practices and willingness to adopt heat-tolerant tomato varieties under tropical conditions was examined. Using data from 432 tomato farmers, multivariate probit and tobit regression models were used to assess willingness to adopt heat-tolerant varieties and number of nursery practices. Willingness to adopt heat-tolerant tomato varieties was positively influenced by education, experience, and extension contacts. Adoption of improved nursery practices was influenced by sex, household size, off-farm income, credit, education and extension. These results will enable decision-makers to prioritize strategies that target educated farmers with more years of experience in tomato production and have contacts with extension to enhance the adoption of heat-tolerant tomato seeds with complementary improved nursery practices to increase productivity and income of smallholder tomato farmers under tropical conditions.

Antagonist Test of Trichoderma sp and Gliocladium sp Againts Fungal Pathogens That Cause Diseases on Tomato Plant

Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are one of the widely cultivated crops consumed by people worldwide, including Indonesia. Tomato farming often faces various challenges that result in reduced tomato productivity. One of the challenges is the presence of diseases that affect tomatoes, leading to crop failure for farmers. Some important diseases that commonly affect tomato plants include Fusarium wilt and anthracnose. Most farmer use chemical fungicides to control the diseases. These methods have greater negative impacts on both plants and the surrounding environment. One alternative control technique that can be used is the use of biological agents with antagonistic properties, such as Trichoderma sp. and Gliocladium sp. This research aims to assess antagonistic abilities of endophytic fungi Trichoderma sp. and Gliocladium sp. againts the pathogens responsible for suppresing the growth of these disease-causing phatogens in tomato plants. in the Laboratory of Plant Pest and Disease Science, OECF Building, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Mulawarman. The experiment was designed using a completely randomized single-factor design with four treatments and five replications. The data obtained were analyzed using Analysis of Variance and the least significant difference test at a 5% significance level. The research results indicate that the antagonistic tests of Trichoderma sp. and Gliocladium sp. in vitro significantly differ againts the pathogenic fungi Fusarium sp. and Colletotrichum sp. Furthermore, it was found that the antagonistic fungus Gliocladium sp. is the best fungus capable of suppressing the growth of important pathogenic fungi in tomato plants.Keyword: Gliocladium sp., Trichoderma sp., Fusarium sp., Colletotrichum sp. and Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)