Planting dates
·
All year round in frost free areas or greenhouse.
Days to Harvest
·
80 to 120 days depends on cultivar.
Harvesting
duration
·
60 Days
Yield
·
20 000 - 60 000kg.
Soil
requirements
·
pH 5.0 to 5.5,
·
Sandy loam soils,
·
Soil testing is key.
Seed
·
120 - 160g in a nursery seed bed of about 60m2.
·
7 - 10 days emergence.
·
Floating seed trays can also be used.
·
Ensure free drainage to avoid damping off.
Transplanting
·
6 - 8 weeks after emergence.
·
Harden seedlings when they have 3 - 5 true leaves.
Spacing
·
In-row: 300 - 500mm.
·
Inter-row: 1000 - 1500mm.
Fertilizer
requirements
Soil
testing is key.
·
Basal Dressing: Compound S,
·
Top-dressing: Ammonium
Nitrate and Potassium Sulphate 100kg/ha split into 2 or 3 applications.
Weed management
·
Annual and
perennial grasses - Fusilade super - Apply post emergence to young and
actively growing weeds.
·
Broad leaves
and annual grasses - Sencor 480 SC - Apply as directed. Spray at least 14
days after transplanting.
Pests
·
Cut worm – use Carbaryl,
Dursban, Pyrinex, Karate.
·
Aphids – use Dimethoate,
Metasystox 25/ EC, Malathion 50%.
·
African
Bollworm – use Thionex 35 EC, Dedevap, Tamaron 600 SL, Carbaryl, Dipterex 95
SP.
·
Red spider mite – use Malathion,
Dimethoate 40 EC, Mitac, Armitraz 20 EC, Kelthane 18 EC, Dicofol.
·
Leaf miners – use Tamaron,
Trigard.
·
Whitefly – use Confidor,
Naturell, DDVP.
Diseases
·
Bacterial
canker - it is controlled by using healthy seeds, planting on ridges and
the use of crop rotation.
·
Bacterial wilt - use crop
rotation and avoid use of areas prone to water logging.
·
Bacterial spot - healthy seed,
crop rotation and Copper oxychloride, Mancozeb, Captan and Metiram.
·
Bacterial speck - use certified
disease free seed Copper oxychloride and Mancozeb.
·
Early blight – use Copper
oxychloride and Mancozeb, Ridomil, Maneb, Bravo.
·
Late blight – use Copper
oxychloride and Mancozeb, Ridomil, Maneb, Bravo, Captan.
· Tomato mosaic virus, spotted wilt virus, yellow leaf curl virus - use resistant cultivars, Control vectors, Practice good hygiene, Rogue out and destroy infected.
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