₦airaland Forum

Hello friends

I planted my tomatoes a while ago. I have been religious with watering and manure application and tbey have actually grown quite well.
Now that they started Fruiting, I noticed some of the plants just suddenly drying off and wilting. What could be wrong?

This is my first time planting tomatoes. How can I handle the situation to stop this and also prevent future occurrence.

Over watering or under watering

Solofresh2:
Over watering or under watering

How much water is too much? How often is watering adequate

"You should grow your own tomatoes. It's easy." They say. Mhmm!

skylarr:
How much water is too much? How often is watering adequate

Op, try learning on YouTube.

skylarr:
Hello fellow Agriculturists.

I planted my tomatoes a while ago. I have been religious with watering and manure application and tbey have actually grown quite well.
Now that they started Fruiting, I noticed some of the plants just suddenly drying off and wilting. What could be wrong?

This is my first time planting tomatoes. How can I handle the situation to stop this and also prevent future occurrence.

This looks more like bacteria wilt. Let's start with the solution by telling us the variety you planted.

skylarr:
Hello fellow Agriculturists.

I planted my tomatoes a while ago. I have been religious with watering and manure application and tbey have actually grown quite well.
Now that they started Fruiting, I noticed some of the plants just suddenly drying off and wilting. What could be wrong?

This is my first time planting tomatoes. How can I handle the situation to stop this and also prevent future occurrence.

Most likely bacterial wilt.

Mrdellychy:
This looks more like bacteria wilt. Let's start with the solution by telling us the variety you planted.

I don't know the variety. I got it from the market. Since it's for a first try and to enable me learn the ropes.

If it is actually bacteria wilt, what can I do?

skylarr:
I don't know the variety. I got it from the market. Since it's for a first try and to enable me learn the ropes.

If it is actually bacteria wilt, what can I do?

Uproot it and burn it

Do not plant tomatoes or garden egg on that land for the next 5 years.

That is what the books say

However I have found that you can be successful planting tomatoes in infected soil during the dry season with limited watering of the plants.

skylarr:
I don't know the variety. I got it from the market. Since it's for a first try and to enable me learn the ropes.

If it is actually bacteria wilt, what can I do?

Buying seed from market is like gambling... the chance is very slim. You don't know if the seed is heirloom, OPV, F2, or F4.
Bacteria wilt is soil borne disease, it's very common in the South...areas that are proned to high rainfall. Those in the North hav little or no worries about bacteria wilt...the more reason they grow anyhow cheap OPV like Roma, Rio grande, UC and they hav bumper harvest, but if you try it in commercial scale in the South, you will get your fingers burnt.
Most wilts in Tomato has no cure.Your best bet (if you are in the South) is to buy hybrids (F1) that have resistance against those wilts.
If you need more help, feel free to ask questions.

Mrdellychy:
Buying seed from market is like gambling... the chance is very slim. You don't know if the seed is heirloom, OPV, F2, or F4.

Bacteria wilt is soil borne disease, it's very common in the South...areas that are proned to high rainfall. Those in the North hav little or no worries about bacteria wilt...the more reason they grow anyhow cheap OPV like Roma, Rio grande, UC and they hav bumper harvest, but if you try it in commercial scale in the South, you will get your fingers burnt.

Most wilts in Tomato has no cure.Your best bet (if you are in the South) is to buy hybrids (F1) that have resistance against those wilts.
If you need more help, feel free to ask questions.

Now, it all makes sense why tomatoes (in Nigeria) are mostly grown in the north than in the south.
And they made it seem as if farmers(people) down south were so lazy, they can't even grow their own tomatoes. They had/have to depend on the northern farmers for that.
Who knew tomatoes were such delicate plants?

Mariangeles:
Now, it all makes sense why tomatoes (in Nigeria) are mostly grown in the north than in the south.
And they made it seem as if farmers(people) down south were so lazy, they can't even grow their own tomatoes. They had/have to depend on the northern farmers for that.
Who knew tomatoes were such delicate plants?

You are very much on point. Consider/ compare and contrast these market Prices...

100g of Roma(popular OPV) = btw 10 to 15k.
50g of Cobra(my best choice hybrid)= above 100k, meaning if u want to buy 2 (equivalent of Roma) u will spend over N200k.

The question is how many farmers, esp the newbies, in the South can afford 100k for hybrid tomato seed in this era?

Mrdellychy:
You are very much on point. Consider/ compare and contrast these market Prices...

100g of Roma(popular OPV) = btw 10 to 15k.
50g of Cobra(my best choice hybrid)= above 100k, meaning if u want to buy 2 (equivalent of Roma) u will spend over N200k.

The question is how many farmers, esp the newbies, in the South can afford 100k for hybrid tomato seed in this era?

Please, do you have idea how many seeds this 50g cobra contains? Do you have an idea how much grams, stands/seeds 3 plots of land can contain?

fadilaMaikiriki:
Please, do you have idea how many seeds this 50g cobra contains? Do you have an idea how much grams, stands/seeds 3 plots of land can contain?

1gram of Tom seed, on the average and depending on the variety, contains roughly 300seeds. If you are doing just 3 plots, I wl advise you go for the smaller package ...5g sachet (avg 1500 seed). Buy 3 or 4 packs factoring at least 85% germination rate and how good you are at raising nursery.

Mrdellychy:
You are very much on point. Consider/ compare and contrast these market Prices...

100g of Roma(popular OPV) = btw 10 to 15k.
50g of Cobra(my best choice hybrid)= above 100k, meaning if u want to buy 2 (equivalent of Roma) u will spend over N200k.

The question is how many farmers, esp the newbies, in the South can afford 100k for hybrid tomato seed in this era?

Thank you for making things more clear.


So, does bacteria wilt affect peppers too?

Mariangeles:
Now, it all makes sense why tomatoes (in Nigeria) are mostly grown in the north than in the south.
And they made it seem as if farmers(people) down south were so lazy, they can't even grow their own tomatoes. They had/have to depend on the northern farmers for that.
Who knew tomatoes were such delicate plants?

The humid environment is a factor but most dont shield the plants under transparent canopies that reduces environmental impact while increasing control.

CodeTemplarr:
The humid environment is a factor but most dont shield the plants under transparent canopies that reduces environmental impact while increasing control.

You mean greenhouse, right?

Hope u didn't apply the manure close to the plant??

Mariangeles:
Thank you for making things more clear.


So, does bacteria wilt affect peppers too?

Yes, but not that common as in tomato.

CodeTemplarr:
The humid environment is a factor but most dont shield the plants under transparent canopies that reduces environmental impact while increasing control.

If you are expecting all farmers to grow veggies using green house, then u are inviting hunger.

Mrdellychy:
If you are expecting all farmers to grow veggies using green house, then u are inviting hunger.

more farmers and not necessarily all farmers. Besides, it is just to overcome the extreme conditions in a particular region(coastal areas).

Mariangeles:
You mean greenhouse, right?

maybe thats the name but they nee to bring the condition of the plants closer to those of northern nigeria and shielding it can do that. I thought greenhouse is when they use special bulbs to give the plants light and in a completely closed enviromment from sunlight.

Mrdellychy:
Buying seed from market is like gambling... the chance is very slim. You don't know if the seed is heirloom, OPV, F2, or F4.
Bacteria wilt is soil borne disease, it's very common in the South...areas that are proned to high rainfall. Those in the North hav little or no worries about bacteria wilt...the more reason they grow anyhow cheap OPV like Roma, Rio grande, UC and they hav bumper harvest, but if you try it in commercial scale in the South, you will get your fingers burnt.
Most wilts in Tomato has no cure.Your best bet (if you are in the South) is to buy hybrids (F1) that have resistance against those wilts.
If you need more help, feel free to ask questions.

.
No wonder I've never grown tomatoes successfully. When they flower they'll start dying. Thanks

Thank you all for your contributions. I have indeed learned lot from this experience.

I started the tomato farm with a good amount of manure in the soil and they grew abundantly up till the point when they started Fruiting and that was when the problem started. I believe that the issue stemmed from too much humidity and water given that their Fruiting time coincided with higher frequency of rainfall.

Tomato likes a well drained soil!! Too much water will drain life out of it. I can't emphasize this enough. When I withdrew other sources of water from it apart from the rain, the situation improved. This explains why tomatoes planted in green houses perform well. That control of environmental factors help a lot.

Good news is that I have been harvesting since then and I have made profits despite the setback.
I will do this again by December by God's grace since the dry season would have set in by then. Fingers crossed that the experience will be more pleasant than this.

Thanks once again everyone. Experience they say is the BEST teacher. It is indeed!!!