Tomato is considered the second most important crop after potato across the world due to its high demand and economic value. The botanical name of tomato is Solanum Lycopersicum and is a member of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. This flowering plant is cultivated throughout the world for its edible fruit. Although it serves the purpose as a vegetable and is used in cooking in most households. The consumption of tomato is not limited to cooked food, due to the presence of a large amount of essential nutrients like Vitamin A, C, and antioxidants, tomato is consumed raw in salads and is also used in the preparation of several dishes and pickles. Moreover, tomato is used as an active ingredient in the processing of tomato juice, ketchup, puree, paste, etc. The golden crop is cultivated throughout the world due to its commercial viability. China, India, the USA, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Italy, Spain, and Brazil are some of the leading producers of the tomato plants.
Climatic Requirements
Warm and cool weather conditions are most suited for the growth of the tomato crops. The suitable temperature range for the cultivation is 20-25 °C however, the optimum quality of the plant thrives well between 21-24 °C. It requires bright sunshine and cannot tolerate frost. Moreover, intense heat reduces the quality of tomato crops and in the worst scenario destroys the plant. Tomato crop is adaptable to wide range of soils, though soil with adequate drainage ability enhance its growth, furthermore, soil with pH level of 7-8.5 is considered optimum for better yield. Some of the ideal soils for the cultivation of tomato are Sandy loam, red soils and medium black soils.
Late Blight
The main cause of the late blight on tomatoes is Phytophthora infestans. Late blight adversely affects the tomato crop yield and also mitigates the quality of the produce. This disease majorly impacts humid regions with temperatures ranging between 4-29 °C.
Symptoms
At the initial stage, leaves start developing irregular, water-soaked, and light-brown spots. These lesions are generally accompanied by white, cottony mycelial growth on the underside of the leaf. They rapidly expand to stems and green fruits that soon develop olivaceous, brown-coloured, leathery, hard structures due to infection. Eventually, infested fruits fall off from the plant resulting in huge crop loss.
India’s Tomato Production Scenario
India comes in the list of leading countries of tomato production. Tomato is also known as protective food because of its high nutritive value. Tomatoes are predominantly cultivated in summer though due to various crop management programs, they are grown throughout the year. Bihar, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Orissa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal are some of the major tomato producing states. Due to outbreaks of certain diseases, Indian farmers face a lot of difficulties in crop production, furthermore, rising input costs to prevent infection makes it a loss venture. According to reports, farmers lose an estimated 60% of their total crop yield because of late blight disease.
Solution
Dhanuka Agritech Limited comes with a unique systemic fungicide ‘Godiwa Super’ that is manufactured with a combination of two powerful active ingredients, Azoxystrobin and Difenoconazole to protect against the disease.
Mode of action & Dose
Godiwa Super works on translaminar and xylem systemic movement. Azoxystrobin initiates antisporulant activity that inhibits spore germination and mycelial growth. While Difenoconazole ceases fungal growth and prevents further infestation. Godiwa Super can be sprayed at the first appearance of disease symptoms and can be repeated after a gap of 7-10 days at 1 ml per liter of water.
