AGRO SOLUTIONS: An infected tomato farm

More on solutions to tomato infection Last week, we listed ways you can identify diseases in your tomato farm at early stage. Today, we are bringing to you the simple ways you can control diseases in your farm.  It is important to have basic knowledge on how you can control diseases that can cause damage […]

More on solutions to tomato infection

Last week, we listed ways you can identify diseases in your tomato farm at early stage. Today, we are bringing to you the simple ways you can control diseases in your farm. 

It is important to have basic knowledge on how you can control diseases that can cause damage and loss of your tomatoes. You have to learn to keep your tomatoes healthy and free from diseases and pests. 

 The only way you can achieve this is to understand the various ways that will make your tomatoes free from diseases. It is possible to minimise and control tomato disease. 

Mercy Ikyari has written on some of the easiest ways you can control the diseases on your farm. 

Use treated seeds

This is the first decision you need to make if you want to control tomatoes diseases on your farm. The use of only treated seeds and seedlings to plant is a cultural method you can use to reduce disease.

Treated tomato seeds are free from seed-borne pathogens. This will help you to limit the introduction of new or existing disease-causing organisms into your field. Use seeds that are free from weed.

Some tomato diseases are caused by seed-borne disease causing organisms. You have to start with getting the right seed and seedlings that are free from pathogens in the seed of tomatoes. If you do not treat your seeds and seedlings, they will infect and cause damage to your tomatoes farm. 

Plant disease-resistant varieties 

Another cultural method you can use to control tomato disease is to plant disease-resistant varieties. This will be the most economical method for you because the variety has already been modified to resist certain diseases. 

This method should be your first line of defence to control tomato diseases. It will save you the cost of a disease breakout.

You need to understand which varieties are resistant to tomato diseases in your environment. Get only the variety that is resistant to diseases in your location and can produce under favourable conditions. 

Identify the disease 

Diagnosis is the first step in disease management. Identifying the cause of a problem is necessary before appropriate control methods can be taken. 

You have to be able to detect a disease or pest damage at the early stages to prevent more damage from the tomato disease. The disease-causing organism multiplies quickly in tomatoes farming, so you have to search for symptoms very often. 

You need to understand that when you misdiagnose the disease you cannot control the problem. Get a disease chart that is clear and precise to help you identify diseases. 

You need to understand the causes of tomato diseases and how to effect control measures immediately you detect a disease to avoid spread.

It is very important to remember that a correct diagnosis is the most important step in the eventual control of plant disease. Most diseases have a fairly well established control protocol.

Destroy all weeds 

You need to create an environment that will not favour disease-causing organism in your farm. Destroy all the weeds in the farm and remove their debris. 

You have to water your tomato farm late in the evening after the dew dries from leaves. The best method to irrigate your tomato farm is drip irrigation. 

When you use the drip method, the foliage will not get wet and it will reduce the development and spread of fungi and bacteria. You need to mulch, optimise soil moisture and moderate soil temperature. 

Use appropriate chemicals 

The chemicals to control tomato diseases you need can be in the form of fungicides, pesticides and herbicides. You will need the help of chemicals when the other methods are not enough to prevent the disease. 

Apply the right chemical that is developed to control the disease in the right amount for it to be effective. You need to apply some chemicals as a routine, while you can only apply others when you identify the symptoms. 

You must understand that not all chemicals to control tomato diseases will perform the same way in different locations. So you have to get chemicals that will work in your environment. 

These control methods written by Mercy Ikyari appeared in Afrifamer.