How to  Tomato Crop Care Guide: Global Diseases, Pests, Nutrition & High-Yield Farming System

1. Introduction: Why Tomato Needs the Highest Care

Tomato is a high-value global crop. But it is also one of the most sensitive plants because:

It has soft leaves and stems.

Its fruits crack easily under stress.

Whiteflies, thrips, aphids and mites love tomato.

Fungal diseases spread very fast in tomato’s micro-climate.

Viral diseases can destroy 100% yield in a week.

This crop rewards farmers only if managed scientifically + organically + preventively.

This guide explains every major risk and every major solution in a single reference article.

2. Climate & Temperature Requirements

Tomato needs:

Day temperature: 20–28°C

Night temperature: 15–20°C

Humidity: 50–65%

Sunlight: 6–8 hours

Soil: Sandy loam / loam with good drainage

Temperature below 10°C or above 35°C causes:

Flower drop

Poor fruit set

Pollen sterility

Blossom end rot

Humidity above 75% causes:

Early blight

Late blight

Septoria

Whitefly outbreak

3. Soil Preparation & Bed Management

Tomato hates two things:
compacted soil & waterlogging.

Perfect soil structure:

Deep, loose, organic-rich soil

pH 6.0–6.8

At least 2% organic carbon

Zero stagnant water

Recommended soil mixture per acre:

2–3 tons decomposed FYM

200–250 kg neem cake

1 kg Trichoderma mixed with compost

25–30 kg biochar

Good sand ratio for aeration if soil is heavy

Raised beds (4 feet wide) are essential for drainage and airflow.

4. Seed, Nursery & Transplanting Care

4.1 Seed Treatment

Best global practice:

Trichoderma viride

Pseudomonas fluorescens

Light neem oil coat

Azospirillum (root development)

4.2 Nursery Management

Raised nursery beds

40–50% shade net

Gentle morning sunlight

Daily light mist irrigation

Zero standing water

Neem spray weekly

4.3 Perfect Seedling Age

25–30 days
Older seedlings reduce yield and cause weak flowering.

4.4 Transplanting Rules

Transplant late afternoon

Water immediately

Use mulch

Maintain airflow by proper spacing (45–60 cm)

5. Irrigation Management

Overwatering causes:

Root rot

Bacterial wilt

Late blight

Nutrient washout

Underwatering causes:

Blossom end rot

Fruit cracking

Small fruits

Ideal irrigation method:

Drip irrigation only, never flood irrigation.

Critical irrigation stages:

Flower initiation

Fruit set

Fruit enlargement

6. Tomato Nutrient Schedule (Global Standard)

6.1 Basal Dose

Compost/FYM

NPK balanced (12:32:16 or crop stage dependent)

Magnesium sulphate

Boron in micro dose

6.2 Vegetative Stage

Nitrogen + micronutrients

Calcium for stem strength

6.3 Pre-Flowering Stage

Potassium

Calcium

Boron

6.4 Fruit Setting Stage

Potassium heavy feeding

Calcium nitrate foliar

6.5 Fruit Development Stage

Potassium

Magnesium

No excess Nitrogen

Deficiency consequences:

Nitrogen shortage = yellow leaves

Potassium shortage = leaf scorching

Calcium shortage = blossom end rot

Boron shortage = flower drop

Magnesium shortage = interveinal chlorosis

7. Tomato Diseases (A–Z Complete Guide)

7.1 Fungal Diseases

Early Blight (Alternaria solani)

Symptoms:

Concentric rings

Lower leaves dry

Premature yellowing

Causes:

High humidity

Poor airflow

Rain splash

Care:

Mulching

Proper pruning

Balanced N & K

Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans)

Most dangerous disease — destroys entire crop in 48 hours.

Symptoms:

Water-soaked patches

Black lesions

Fruit rot

Causes:

Cold + wet climate

Over-irrigation

Dense canopy

Care:

Only drip

Early morning irrigation

Preventive fungicide rotation

Septoria Leaf Spot

Symptoms: Tiny grey spots with dark borders.
Care:

Remove bottom leaves

Mulch

Maintain airflow

Fusarium Wilt

Symptoms:

One-sided yellowing

Plant slowly collapses
Care:

Resistant varieties

Soil drainage

Trichoderma drench

Powdery Mildew

Symptoms: White powder on leaf surface.
Care:

Leaf pruning

Potassium bicarbonate

Sulphur dust

7.2 Bacterial Diseases

Bacterial Wilt

Symptoms:

Sudden wilting

No yellowing

Sticky ooze from stem

Care:

Root-zone drying

Bleaching powder in channels

Avoid overhead watering

Bacterial Speck & Spot

Symptoms:

Tiny black dots

Fruit blemish

Care:

Copper-based sprays

Clean irrigation

7.3 Viral Diseases (No direct cure)

Tomato Leaf Curl Virus

Symptoms:

Leaves curl upward

Severe dwarfing

Zero fruiting

Care:

Whitefly vector control

Silver mulch

Remove infected plants

Tomato Mosaic Virus

Symptoms:

Mosaic leaf pattern

Rough fruit skin

Care:

Tool sterilization

Virus-free seeds

7.4 Nematodes

Root-knot Nematode

Symptoms:

Galls on roots

Poor plant growth

Care:

Marigold intercropping

Neem cake

Pochonia fungus

8. Tomato Pests (A–Z Complete Guide)

8.1 Fruit Borer (Helicoverpa armigera)

Damage: Holes in fruit, internal rotting.
Care:

Pheromone traps

Bt spray

Manual picking

8.2 Whiteflies

Damage: Sap sucking + virus spread.
Care:

Yellow traps

Neem spray

Vector management

8.3 Thrips

Damage: Silver streaks, flower drop.
Care:

Blue sticky traps

Neem + garlic

8.4 Aphids

Damage: Curl leaves, virus spread.
Care:

Soap water

Neem oil

8.5 Red Mites

Damage: Webbing, bronzing.
Care:

Sulphur

Increase humidity

8.6 Leaf Miner

Damage: Tunnels inside leaves.
Care:

Remove infected leaves

Neem extract

9. Pruning, Training & Canopy Management

Tomato becomes healthy only when:

Lower old leaves removed

Side suckers pruned

Good vertical staking

Airflow maintained

No pruning leads to:

Humidity rise

Whitefly build-up

Blight diseases

10. Weed, Mulching & Soil Moisture Care

Mulching is essential because it:

Stops soil splash

Reduces fungus

Maintains moisture

Suppresses weeds

Keeps fruit clean

Weeds host pests like aphids, mites, whiteflies — remove them weekly.

11. Harvesting & Post-Harvest Care

Harvest at pink stage (for long transport)

Use clean crates

Avoid harvesting wet fruit

Shade pack only

Grade fruits for uniform ripening

12. FAQ
13. Why tomato fruits crack?
    Due to irregular irrigation or calcium deficiency.
14. Best time for irrigation?
    Early morning before sunlight becomes strong.
15. Why flowers drop?
    Low boron, heat stress, thrips, or heavy nitrogen.
16. Why plants wilt suddenly?
    Bacterial wilt or root rot.
17. What increases fruit size?
    Calcium, potassium, and uniform watering.
18. Why leaves turn purple?
    Phosphorus deficiency.
19. How to stop early blight?
    Mulch + pruning + preventive fungicide rotation.
20. Why tomato becomes yellow?
    Nitrogen or iron deficiency.
21. Best organic spray?
    Neem + garlic + soap base extract.
22. Best yield booster?
    Balanced NPK + calcium + potassium + clean canopy.
23. Conclusion

Tomato farming succeeds only when the plant remains:

disease-free

virus-free

nutrient-balanced

irrigation-stable

canopy-ventilated

pest-controlled

This complete tomato guide provides world-level care knowledge that helps farmers increase yield, quality, and profitability.

✍️Farming Writers Team
Love farming Love Farmers.

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