West Central Africa 2020 | English Version

Step 2 Land preparation

Step 2 Land preparation and transplanting Growing guidelines tomato How to grow Enza Zaden tropical tomatoes in 5 steps The soil for planting has to be ploughed to a depth of 20-30 cm eliminating debris and clods. If land was previously used for solanaceae family plants, any residue removed should be burnt to avoid any possible risk of disease. Incorporate well-decomposed manure at a rate of 8-10 tons per hectare into the prepared land for planting. This should be done before transplanting of the seedling (usually 3-4 weeks after sowing). Hardening is carried out 6-10 days before transplanting by reducing irrigation and shading the seedlings. Spacing of the planting holes ranges from 60x45 cm or 60x60 cm. Since the tomato plant is very sensitive to water deficit, the farm should be watered moderately every morning and evening. Tomato plants per acre range from 6.666 to 13.333 seedlings and in the case of a greenhouse of 8 x 15 m a range of 400 plants. Step 1 Nursery establishment Step 3 Watering Plant your Enza Zaden tomatoes seeds in trays or ground nursery. Ease of planting, reduction of seed waste, disease incidences and easy transportation can be achieved if trays are used for the seedlings. Fill tray holes ¾ and press to compact. Place planted seeds in dark and warm location. Between 1-2 weeks when the seeds start to sprout, move them to a sunny spot. The tomato plant has a very high rate of nutrient consumption. Nutrients include phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. Organic fertilizers are a source of all these nutrients. Tomatoes are a heavy water user, thereby requiring frequent irrigation to delay maturity and prolong plant productivity. For open field cultivation, furrow and drip irrigation are effective. Drip irrigation is efficient on water utilisation while furrow irrigation minimizes spread of fungal diseases such as early blight. When flowering starts, apply nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium based fertilizer. 16 | Enza Zaden Enza Zaden | 17