🍅 Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Particular	Answer
Scientific Name	Solanum lycopersicum L. ⭐⭐⭐
Family	Solanaceae ⭐⭐⭐
Chromosome Number	2n = 24
Origin	Peru–Ecuador Region (South America) ⭐⭐⭐
Fruit Type	Berry ⭐⭐⭐
Edible Part	Fruit
Pollination	Self-pollinated (often cross-pollination up to 5–10%)
Propagation	By Seed
Photosynthetic Pathway	C₃

Parameter	Requirement
Climate	Warm, frost-free
Optimum Temperature	20–25°C ⭐⭐⭐
Seed Germination	20–30°C
Fruit Set	18–24°C
Frost	Very sensitive

Parameter	Requirement
Soil Type	Well-drained sandy loam to loam
Soil pH	6.0–7.0 ⭐⭐⭐
Waterlogging	Harmful

Particular	Recommendation
Nursery Raising	Yes ⭐⭐⭐
Seed Rate (Open Pollinated)	300–500 g/ha
Seed Rate (Hybrid)	80–120 g/ha ⭐⭐⭐
Seed Treatment	Carbendazim/Thiram @ 2–3 g/kg seed or Trichoderma

Type	Spacing
Open Pollinated	60 × 45 cm ⭐⭐⭐
Hybrid	75 × 60 cm

Nutrient	Recommendation
FYM	20–25 t/ha
Nitrogen	120 kg/ha
Phosphorus	60 kg/ha
Potassium	60 kg/ha

Biofertilizer	Function
Azotobacter	Nitrogen fixation
PSB	Solubilizes phosphorus
VAM	Better nutrient uptake

Particular	Recommendation
Best Method	Drip Irrigation ⭐⭐⭐
Critical Stages	Flowering & Fruit Development ⭐⭐⭐

Method	Recommendation
Hand Weeding	20 & 40 DAT
Mulching	Black polyethylene mulch
Herbicide	Pendimethalin (Pre-emergence) ⭐⭐⭐

• Earthing up
• Staking ⭐⭐⭐
• Pruning (Indeterminate varieties)
• Mulching

Nutrient	Deficiency Symptom
Calcium	Blossom End Rot ⭐⭐⭐
Boron	Fruit cracking
Zinc	Small leaves
Iron	Interveinal chlorosis

Disease	Causal Organism
Early Blight ⭐⭐⭐	Alternaria solani
Late Blight ⭐⭐⭐	Phytophthora infestans
Bacterial Wilt ⭐⭐⭐	Ralstonia solanacearum
Fusarium Wilt	Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici
Tomato Leaf Curl Virus (ToLCV)	Begomovirus (Whitefly transmitted) ⭐⭐⭐
Damping-off	Pythium spp.

Pest	Scientific Name
Fruit Borer ⭐⭐⭐	Helicoverpa armigera
Whitefly	Bemisia tabaci
Aphid	Aphis gossypii
Thrips	Thrips tabaci
Leaf Miner	Liriomyza trifolii

Disorder	Cause
Blossom End Rot ⭐⭐⭐	Calcium deficiency + moisture stress
Fruit Cracking	Irregular irrigation
Puffiness	Poor pollination
Sunscald	High temperature

Particular	Recommendation
First Harvest	70–90 DAT
Stage for Local Market	Red ripe
Stage for Distant Market	Breaker/Pink stage ⭐⭐⭐

Type	Yield
Open Pollinated	25–35 t/ha
Hybrid	60–100 t/ha ⭐⭐⭐

Parameter	Recommendation
Temperature	10–13°C
Relative Humidity	85–90%
Storage Life	2–3 weeks

Variety	Feature
Pusa Ruby ⭐⭐⭐	Popular OP variety
Pusa Rohini	High yielding
Arka Vikas ⭐⭐⭐	Widely cultivated
Arka Rakshak ⭐⭐⭐	Triple disease-resistant hybrid
Arka Saurabh	Good quality
Punjab Chhuhara	Processing variety

Institute	Location
ICAR-IIHR ⭐⭐⭐	Bengaluru
ICAR-IIVR ⭐⭐⭐	Varanasi
ICAR-IARI	New Delhi

Particular	Answer
Largest Producer (World)	China ⭐⭐⭐
Second Largest	India ⭐⭐⭐
Largest Producing State (India)	Andhra Pradesh (followed by Madhya Pradesh/Karnataka in recent years) ⭐⭐⭐

Term	Meaning
Berry	Fruit type ⭐⭐⭐
Staking	Supporting plants
Breaker Stage	First colour change of fruit
Blossom End Rot	Calcium deficiency disorder

Question	Answer
Scientific Name	Solanum lycopersicum
Family	Solanaceae
Fruit Type	Berry
Origin	Peru–Ecuador
Chromosome Number	2n = 24
Best Irrigation	Drip
Critical Stage	Flowering & Fruit Development
Major Disease	Early Blight
Early Blight Pathogen	Alternaria solani
Late Blight Pathogen	Phytophthora infestans
Bacterial Wilt Pathogen	Ralstonia solanacearum
Virus Disease	Tomato Leaf Curl Virus
Major Insect	Helicoverpa armigera
Blossom End Rot Cause	Calcium deficiency
Best Hybrid	Arka Rakshak
Processing Variety	Punjab Chhuhara
Fruit Type	Berry
Photosynthetic Pathway	C₃

Question	Answer
Scientific name of tomato	Solanum lycopersicum
Family	Solanaceae
Fruit type	Berry
Origin	Peru–Ecuador
Major insect pest	Fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera)
Early blight pathogen	Alternaria solani
Late blight pathogen	Phytophthora infestans
Bacterial wilt pathogen	Ralstonia solanacearum
Virus transmitted by whitefly	Tomato Leaf Curl Virus
Physiological disorder due to Ca deficiency	Blossom End Rot
Best irrigation method	Drip
Major research institute	ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi

Topic	Remember
Scientific Name	Solanum lycopersicum
Family	Solanaceae
Origin	Peru–Ecuador
Fruit Type	Berry
Chromosome Number	2n = 24
Seed Rate (Hybrid)	80–120 g/ha
Best Irrigation	Drip Irrigation
Major Disease	Early Blight (Alternaria solani)
Major Virus	Tomato Leaf Curl Virus
Major Insect	Helicoverpa armigera
Physiological Disorder	Blossom End Rot (Calcium deficiency)
Best Hybrid	Arka Rakshak
Research Institute	ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi
Largest Producer	China
Second Largest Producer	India