Tomato production: technical guidelines
Practical Action
Step V Tendering the Crop
Trellising
Trellising is done to prevent tomato plant lodging which can result in loss of fruit due to disease
and rodents.
There are three methods for trellising.
Single stake - place stake along one side of the row and tie plants to the stake. This is
suitable for home garden.
Single wire tied between two poles to the end of each row. Place wire at 0.5m intervals. Three
wires will be enough to keep plants standing. In between support poles can be spaced as
needed. Plant lodging can decrease the quality of the fruit and also yield. Plants can also be
susceptible to disease.
Double wire - Pairs of wire one
each side of the post are placed
at intervals up the pole.
The plant is supported between
wires and three sets are
required at 0.5m interval.
Removal of buds and shoots
Removal of side shoots to encourage
single stem growth is not
recommended.
Removal of lower branches and
leaves is not recommended.
Hygiene
Sterilize equipment using 2 percent formalin if disease is
present.
Forbid smoking or taking of snuff in field
Ensure personnel wash hands before entering the seedbed
and field
Discard diseased seedling
Harvesting
Yield of between 75-100 tonnes/ha are possible
There are four distinct stages of picking depending on
intended markets
Pale yellow blossom end - fruit will last a week or
more before ripening depending on cultivator
Pink blossom end – fruit will ripen in 4 days or more
Pink stages - fruit wiII ripen in one or two days
Ripe stage (fruit ripe but firm) market or use
immediately.
Grading
Remove disease fruits
Arranging according size, colour, ripening stage
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