Major diseases of tomato and their management

Tomato is important solanaceous vegetable crop which is affected by many diseases which affect the crop yield and quality adversely.

Major diseases affecting tomato crop are as follows:

• Damping off: Pythium aphanidermatum
  In pre-emergence phase seedlings are killed just before they reach the soil surface while in post- emergence phase infection of the young, juvenile tissues of collar region is observed. For the management of this disease, use raised seed bed for sowing. Drenching with Copper oxychloride 0.2% or Bordeaux mixture 1%.
• Early Blight: Alternaria solani
  Symptom are small, black lesions mostly on the older foliage. Spots enlarge, and turn into concentric rings while tissue surrounding the spots may turn yellow. For management adopt crop sanitation, crop rotation and spraying of Mancozeb 0.2 %.
• Bacterial wilt: Burkholderia solanacearum
  Symptom: Rapid and complete wilting of normal grown up plants. For management avoid damage to seedling while transplanting and application of bleaching powder @ 10 kg/ha.
• Mosaic: Tomato mosaic virus
  Symptom: Light and dark green mottling on the leaves accompanied by wilting of young leaves. Use disease free seeds, seed treatment, crop rotation for disease management.
• Leaf curl: Tomato leaf curl virus
  Severe stunting of the plants with downward rolling and crinkling of the leaves. For the management, use yellow sticky traps @ 12/ha and spray Imidachlorpid 0.05% @ 15, 25 and 45 days after transplanting to control vector population.

Written By:
Dr. Pooja Upadhyay
Assistant Professor, FASC
SGT UNIVERSITY