Tomato

Tomato is grown in an unusually wide range of production systems, from low-input open fields to highly controlled greenhouses, reflecting both its economic importance and its sensitivity to weather during fruit set and ripening.

Cultivars are broadly divided by growth habit and by intended use, such as fresh-market slicing tomatoes, processing tomatoes bred for mechanical harvest, and smaller-fruited types grown for salads and snacking.

Family

Solanaceae (nightshade family)

Genus and species

Solanum lycopersicum

Fruit type

Botanically a berry, though grown and used as a vegetable

The wild relatives of cultivated tomato are native to the Andean region of western South America, while domestication is generally attributed to Mesoamerica. Following European contact, tomato spread to Europe and, over subsequent centuries, became established as a major food crop worldwide.

Tomato is now grown across a very wide range of countries and climates, both in open fields and under protected culture. Current data on planted area, production, and trade by country are compiled by FAO and national agricultural statistics agencies.

Tomato is a warm-season crop sensitive to frost and to chilling injury at low temperatures. Fruit set can also be impaired by temperature extremes at flowering, whether from excessive heat or from cool conditions, which affects pollen viability.

Protected-culture systems such as greenhouses and high tunnels are used in many regions to extend the growing season and buffer against unfavorable outdoor temperatures.

Tomato performs best on well-drained loams with good structure and steady moisture supply. It is sensitive to waterlogging, which increases the risk of root diseases, and to irregular soil moisture, which is associated with certain fruit-quality disorders.

Tomato is typically established from transplants raised in a nursery, though direct seeding is used in some processing tomato systems. Indeterminate types are commonly staked or trellised and pruned to manage the canopy, while determinate types are often grown more freely.

• Variety selection matched to growth habit, intended use, and local disease pressure
• Crop rotation away from other solanaceous crops to manage soilborne diseases
• Staking, trellising, or pruning systems suited to the growth habit and production scale
• Timely irrigation and mulching to maintain even soil moisture

Tomato requires a balanced supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to support vegetative growth and fruit development, with calcium availability also relevant to fruit quality. Requirements depend on soil supply, variety, and production system.

Consistent water supply is important throughout the tomato growing cycle, and irregular watering is associated with certain fruit disorders. Both open-field and protected-culture systems commonly use drip irrigation to manage moisture precisely.

Crop water requirements are estimated from evapotranspiration and local climate; reference methods and data are published by FAO and national agricultural agencies.

Tomato is affected by diseases including late blight, powdery mildew, and Fusarium wilt, whose severity depends on region, variety, and production system. Whiteflies, aphids, and thrips are among the common insect pests, several of which also transmit economically important viruses.

Management typically combines resistant varieties, crop rotation, sanitation, field or greenhouse monitoring, and, where warranted, locally authorized control measures used according to their labels.

Harvest maturity depends on the intended market: fresh-market fruit may be picked at a partially ripe stage for later ripening and transport, while fruit for local sale or home use is often left to ripen more fully on the vine. Processing tomatoes are typically harvested at full ripeness, often mechanically, in a single pass.

• Fresh consumption in salads and cooked dishes
• Processing into sauces, paste, ketchup, and canned products
• Juice and other processed beverages in some markets
• Dried and sun-dried tomato products