Tomatoes are always consumed in kenyan home daily .It is very hard to ignore this vegetable .i live in a semi arid area .The cost of grocecy in our area is very high ,but i decide to grow some tomatoes to offset this cost from my budget .I bought some seedlings from East african seeds (rio grande variety ).It does very well in hot and dry places .
Preparation
.The field is ploughed to a fine tilth by giving one to two ploughing.
.Consideration should be made on the type of irrigation.
.Furrows are then opened in the recommended spacing.
.Seedlings are transplanted in furrows in light soils and on the side of the ridges in case of heavy soils
.A pre-soaking irrigation is given 2 days prior to transplanting.
.Transplanting should preferably be done in the evening.
.Starter fertilizer is required during transplanting as a basal application (50% of total NPK required).
.Once transplanted, immediate irrigation is required as well as a control for early pests (cutworms).
.The field is ploughed to a fine tilth by giving one to two ploughing.
.Consideration should be made on the type of irrigation.
.Furrows are then opened in the recommended spacing.
.Seedlings are transplanted in furrows in light soils and on the side of the ridges in case of heavy soils
.A pre-soaking irrigation is given 2 days prior to transplanting.
.Transplanting should preferably be done in the evening.
.Starter fertilizer is required during transplanting as a basal application (50% of total NPK required).
.Once transplanted, immediate irrigation is required as well as a control for early pests (cutworms).
Nursery Management
.There are two techniques currently for raising seedlings; use of seed trays and use of normal ground.
.Sowing should be done in a well controlled & protected nursery
.A nursery should be raised with a width of 1m.
.The soil should be well prepared into a fine tilth and sowing lines of 10cm and 2-3cm depth made.
.The seeds should be placed on the soil 2cm apart to take between 40-50 plants per sowing line.
.The seed bed can be covered by use of dry grass/gunny bags and watered gently to avoid splashes
.Ensure watering is done very early in the morning and frequently after 4 days
.There are two techniques currently for raising seedlings; use of seed trays and use of normal ground.
.Sowing should be done in a well controlled & protected nursery
.A nursery should be raised with a width of 1m.
.The soil should be well prepared into a fine tilth and sowing lines of 10cm and 2-3cm depth made.
.The seeds should be placed on the soil 2cm apart to take between 40-50 plants per sowing line.
.The seed bed can be covered by use of dry grass/gunny bags and watered gently to avoid splashes
.Ensure watering is done very early in the morning and frequently after 4 days
Transplanting
.Transplant the seedling when it is 7.5 to 10cm in height or 4-5 weeks old or when it has attained 5-6 leaves
.Irrigate well before & during transplanting. Irrigation should be done early or mid-morning
.Standard spacing for green house is 60cm x 45cm and for open field is 60cm x 60cm
.Planting should be done on ridges and/or depending on farmers practice.
.Basal fertilizer application is recommended during transplanting to aid the plant during the early phase
.Transplant the seedling when it is 7.5 to 10cm in height or 4-5 weeks old or when it has attained 5-6 leaves
.Irrigate well before & during transplanting. Irrigation should be done early or mid-morning
.Standard spacing for green house is 60cm x 45cm and for open field is 60cm x 60cm
.Planting should be done on ridges and/or depending on farmers practice.
.Basal fertilizer application is recommended during transplanting to aid the plant during the early phase
Crop support
.Staking is recommended for better growth, increased fruit bearing and improved fruit quality
.Staking also helps to ease cultural operations like spraying, weeding, fertilizer application, earthing up & picking
.Sowing time: as per regional practices and depending on the varieties.
.Ideal plant population/acre: 6,000 to 8,000 in the green house and 8,000 to 10,000 in the open field
.Seedlings are transplanted on the side of the ridges in heavy soils and in the furrows in light soils
.Transplant healthy & stout seedlings with well-developed root system
.Staking is recommended for better growth, increased fruit bearing and improved fruit quality
.Staking also helps to ease cultural operations like spraying, weeding, fertilizer application, earthing up & picking
.Sowing time: as per regional practices and depending on the varieties.
.Ideal plant population/acre: 6,000 to 8,000 in the green house and 8,000 to 10,000 in the open field
.Seedlings are transplanted on the side of the ridges in heavy soils and in the furrows in light soils
.Transplant healthy & stout seedlings with well-developed root system
Fertilizer requirement
.Fertilizer recommendation should be based on local soil analysis.
.If farm manure or compost ( 10 - 20 t/ha / 4 - 8 t/acre) is given before crop start, inorganic fertilizer can be reduced by 20%
.Example: target yield of 80 t/ha needs 320 kg/ha N, 160 kg/ha P and 480 kg/ha K (or 20% less if manure is used)
.To get the right fruit quality especially, the ration N:K = 1:1.5 is important
.Ca: is not so much defined by yield/ha, but by soil pH. A rate of 100 – 200 kg Ca/ha is recommended, the lower the soil pH, the
.Fertilizer recommendation should be based on local soil analysis.
.If farm manure or compost ( 10 - 20 t/ha / 4 - 8 t/acre) is given before crop start, inorganic fertilizer can be reduced by 20%
.Example: target yield of 80 t/ha needs 320 kg/ha N, 160 kg/ha P and 480 kg/ha K (or 20% less if manure is used)
.To get the right fruit quality especially, the ration N:K = 1:1.5 is important
.Ca: is not so much defined by yield/ha, but by soil pH. A rate of 100 – 200 kg Ca/ha is recommended, the lower the soil pH, the
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