Tomato - all articles

High field crop yields are obtained on freely drained soils where water and nutrients are not limiting. Plant density and spacing are critical to ensure crops make best use of environmental, especially light conditions, so that yield potentials are reached.

A balanced crop nutrition will help growers reach tomato fruit set and weight goals, determined by market requirements, tomato type and fruit end-use.

During the later stages of growth it is particularly important to ensure that environmental and growth constraints do not limit quality potential. For example, the resultant color, aroma, flavor and texture are all established at this stage of development.

Tomato cracking can appear due to extreme fluctuations in water supply and temperature. It is more common on soil-grown crops and can be avoided by maintaining a consistent soil moisture status. Crop nutrition affects tomato cracking as well.

Tomato russeting are brown, hair-like cracks in the cuticle, which start to occur at the beginning of maturation. It is often linked with very humid greenhouse environments and reduces fruit shelf life. Crop nutrition can help to avoid russeting.

Tomato Gold Spot (Speck) are small spots on the shoulder of the fruit, giving them a dull appearance and decreasing tomato shelf life. High humidity and direct sunlight on the fruit will further encourage gold spot.

A balanced crop nutrition can help preventing several physical disorders in tomatoes.

Firm, fresh tomatoes are less prone to damage and have a longer shelf life. Higher levels of calcium in the cell wall will improve fruit firmness and as a result, transportation and storage characteristics.

Tomato blotchy (uneven) ripening is greenish, yellow areas or blotches on the tomato fruit, normally confined to the outer walls. These areas of the fruit have low concentrations of organic acids, dry matter, total solids, starch, sugars and nitrogenous compounds.

Blossom end rot in tomato is a brown/black scar at the base or blossom end of the fruit. It is often a result of moisture stress, calcium deficiency, excess ammonium or a combination of all three.

Flavor is generally related to the relative concentrations of sugars and acids in the fruit, mainly fructose and citric acid. The best, most flavorsome combination is a high sugar and high acid content. Crop nutrition can influence tomato taste.

Tomatoes need to be bright and uniform in color, without green shoulders or immature green spots or blotches. The specific carotenoid, lycopene provides the tomato fruit with its red color. Higher levels of beta-carotene provide an orange color. Potassium and magnesium are particularly important for tomato color.

Fresh tomatoes should be of uniform shape, symmetry and size. For processed products, there are different acceptable size ranges. Magnesium is particularly important for tomato shape.

Get an overview of the role of nutrients by tomato growth stage.

Nitrogen is a key component of enzymes, vitamins, chlorophyll and other cell constituents, all of which are essential for crop growth and development. It is thus one of the most important nutrients required for high tomato crop yields.

Phosphorus is a component of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and essential for energy transfer within the plant. Thus it has a direct effect on yield and quality.

Potassium maintains the ionic balance and water status within the plant. It is involved in the production & transport of sugars in the plant, enzyme activation, and synthesis of proteins. Potassium is also required for pigment synthesis, notably lycopene.

Magnesium is required for many processes including transfer of energy and protein synthesis. With 20-25 % of the plant’s total magnesium localized in the chloroplasts, it is particularly important for chlorophyll production.

Calcium is a key component of cells holding the structure of cell walls and stabilizing cell membranes. It also has a direct influence on the salt balance within plant cells and activates potassium to regulate the opening and closing of stomata to allow water movement from the plant.

Sulfur is an important component of enzymes and other proteins, and is required for chlorophyll formation.

Boron is involved in the production of nucleic acid and plant hormones, the movement of plant sugars, and in carbohydrate metabolism and translocation.

Copper is involved with carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism. It is also linked to chlorophyll performance.

Iron is required for nitrate and sulfate reduction and is associated with chlorophyll formation and photosynthesis.

Manganese is required for chlorophyll formation and oxide-reduction reactions in cells. It is also involved in the synthesis of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).

Molybdenum is an important component of nitrate reductase and thus involved in nitrogen metabolism as well as the synthesis of pigments and chlorophyll.

Zinc is involved in a range of enzyme reactions similar to manganese and magnesium. It is important for the development and function of growth regulators (e.g. auxin) that influence internode elongation. It is also involved in chloroplast development.

A balanced crop nutrition is essential to achieve a high yielding, high quality crop that satisfies the end user. Here you find an overview of nutrients requirements by tomato crops.

The aim of any producer is a high yielding, high quality crop that satisfies the end user. There are a large number of agronomic factors which can influence this, many are within the control of the grower, under given growing systems and climatic and soil conditions.

Tomato production and market insights, brought to you by Yara North America.

Elaborated by our specialists, Yara's fertilizer program for tomatoes can help you achieve excellent crop performance and maximize the yield and quality of your tomato crops.