This article throws light upon the top three types of solanaceous crops cultivated in India. The types are: 1. Tomato 2. Brinjal 3. Chilli.
Solanaceous Crop: Type # 1. Tomato:
a. Tomato is also known as “Wolf Apple, Vilayati Baigan” and it is No. 1 processing vegetable.
b. Botanical name: Solatium lycopersicon (Old name – Li/copersicon esculentum)
c. Family: Solanaceae
d. Origin: Peru & Mexican region (America)
e. Major Producing States – Bihar, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Assam.
f. Fruit type: Berry
g. Tomato flower is commonly perfect.
h. Cluster of flower is known as “Truss”.
i. Area, production and productivity during 2008-09:
Area -599 (000’HA)
Production -11149 (000′ MT)
Productivity -18.6 (MT/HA)
j. Latest Production -111.49 lakh tonnes
k. Present advance technology – Use of Hybrid seeds
l. Forms of Tomato:
(i) Cherry tomato
(ii) Pear tomato
(iii) Common tomato
(iv) Leaf type tomato
(v) Upright tomato
m. Lycopene is a pigment responsible for red colour in tomato which is highest at 21-25°C. Production of Lycopene is drops rapidly above 27 C. Seed Treatment is done with 2, 4-D @ 2-5 ppm increases early fruit setting.
n. Types of tomato plants:
a. Indeterminate type – Continuous growth of main stem.
b. Determinate type – Main stem does not grow any more.
c. Training and pruning and staking are only followed in indeterminate type of tomato.
d. Excessive rains adversely affect its fruit setting and causes fruit drop.
o. Improved varieties:
i. Hybrid – Pusa early dwarf (Improved Maruti x Red Cloud)
– Pusa Rubi (Sioux x Improved Maruti) — the best combiner variety
– Pusa Gaurav (Glamour x Watch)
– DTH-41, TH 317, Marglove, Pusa Red Plum (interspecific), Hisar lalima,Sweet-72, Pusa Sheetal, Hissar Lalit
– Punjab Uphar (suitable for processing)
i. lARI released varieties: Pusa Ujwal, Pusa Rohani, DT-1, NSS etc.
ii. Extreme early variety: Hisar Aruna Indeterminate type: Pusa Rubi, Arka sourav. Pant bahar. Best of all, Pusa divya
iv. Pusa sadabahar – for high and low temperature region
v. Pusa Sheetal – for low temperatiire region
vi. Pusa H-1- for high temperature region
vii. Arka Meghali is suitable for Rainfed condition.
viii. Arka Vikas is suitable for Drought condition.
ix. Selection-120: root knot nematode resistant variety.
x. Early blight resistant: EEB-2
xi. Nematode and Bacterial wilt resistant varieties: Arka vardan.
xii. Bacterial wilt resistant varieties: Shakti, Arka Alok, Arka Abha, Sonali.
xiii. Leaf curl resistant varieties: Hisar Gaurav, Hisar Anmol.
p. Most important nutrients required for tomato cultivation are Boron & zinc
q. Foliar spray of PCPA (20 ppm) is very effective in increasing fruit setting and yield.
r. Sowing:
I. Sowing time: In Plains areas – July to August
II. Autumn/winter season -Oct to Dec
III. Summer season – March to April
IV. Seed rate: 300-350 gm/ha
V. Spacing: 60cm x 45 cm
vi. Transplanting: about 3-4 weeks old seedlings are selected.
Irrigation is applied at an interval of 8-10 days.
s. Borax @ 20-25 kg/ha is sprayed during fruit formation stage for proper fruit development.
t. Harvesting stages:
i. Mature green stage – for distant market/transportation
ii. Pink stage-for local market
iii. Pink to light red stage – for home/table use
iv. Red ripe stage – for canning use/seed production.
u. The average yield of tomato crop is about 200-250 qt. ha-1 where as for hybrid tomato, it is 400-500 qt. ha-1
v. For artificial ripening: tomatoes are harvested at green stage and kept under room temperature (15-25°C) and then Ethrel ©1000-2000 ppm/ litre of water is sprayed for ripening.
w. Methods of extraction of tomato seed:
i. Alkali method – Best and safest method. Seed slurry treated with 10% washing soda (Ca. carbonate) and kept for overnight.
ii. Fermentation method – Ripe fruits are crushed and then kept for 2-4 days at 15-24°C.
iii. Acid fermentation method – 250 ml of HCL is treated with 10 ml of seed slurry and kept for 30 minutes.
x. Sensibility to:
y. Disorders of tomato:
(i) Fruit cracking & Puffiness – Boron (B) deficiency
(ii) Blossom end rot – Calcium (Ca) deficiency
(iii)Blotchy ripening – Potassium (K) deficiency and imbalance of N
z. Root knot nematode is a very serious pest for tomato plant.
Leaf curl disease is caused by virus and transmitted through Bemasia tabaci.
Treatment for Quality – Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Solanaceous Crop: Type # 2. Brinjal:
a. Brinjal is also known as “Egg plant”.
b. Botanical name: Solatium melongena L., Family: Solanaceae
c. Brinjal fruits are good source of Vit.-B. Anthocynin pigment present in brinjal.
d. Dry fruits contain goiter genic principle.
e. Hetero style is common in brinjal.
f. White brinjal is preferred by diabetic’s patients.
g. Brinjal has bidirectional root system.
h. Soil: Well drained soil rich in organic matter with pH of 6.5-7.5 is suitable.
i. Season of Sowing: Planting spreads from December – January and May – June.
j. Seed rate: Varieties: 200 g/ha
Hybrids: 100 g/ha
Nursery area: 100 sq.m./ha
k. Seed treatment:
Treat the seeds with Trichoderma viride @ 4 g/kg of seeds or Pseudomonas fluoresces @ 10 g/kg of seeds. Also treat the seeds with Azospirillum at lOg/ lOOg of seeds using rice gruel as adhesive before sowing.
l. Nursery preparation:
Apply FYM10 kg, neem cake 1 kg, super phosphate 100 g, Furadan 10 g/ sq.m. during preparation of Nursery area. In raised nursery beds sow the seeds in lines at 10 cm apart and cover with sand. Irrigate with rose can. Transplant the seedlings 30 – 35 days after sowing.
m. Preparation of Field:
Plough the field to a fine tilth and apply FYM 25t/ha or compost + 200 kg of neemcake at the last ploughing and form ridges and furrows at 60 cm apart. Pre-emergence application of Pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg ai/ha (or) Fluchloralin 1 kg ai/ha is recommended.
n. Spacing: 60 x 60 cm, for hybrids 75 x 60 (or) 75 x 75 cm.
o. Irrigation: Irrigation is done at weekly intervals.
p. Varieties:
Pusa purple long, Pusa purple round, Pusa purple cluster. Pant samrat, Arka Sheel, Azad Kranti, Punjab Neelum, Punjab Chamkila, Punjab bahar, Arka Nidhi, Pusa Ankur.
q. Hybrid:
Pusa krant, Pant Rituraj, Pusa Anupam, Hissar Shaymal, Hissar Jamuni, Pusa Upkar, Pusa Bindu etc.
i. Phomopsis blight & Bacterial blight resistant: Pant Samrat.
ii. Aphid resistant varieties: Annamalai.
iii. Extra early maturing varieties: Pusa purple long.
iv. Little leaf of brinjal resistant varieties: Arka Sheel.
r. Application of fertilizers:
N 50 kg, P 50 kg and K 30 kg/ha is applied as basal dose and N 50 kg/ha 30 days after transplanting. Apply 2 kg each of Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria in the main field at the time of planHng.
s. After cultivation:
One hand weeding is given on 30 days after transplanting followed by top dressing and earthing up is recommended. Spray 2 ppm (1 ml in 500 ml) Triacontanol + Sodium Borate or Borax 35 mg/lit of water 15 days after transplanting and at the time of full bloom to increase the yield.
t. Harvest: Harvest can be done 55 – 60 days after transplanting. Fruits are harvested at tender stage at 4 – 5 days intervals.
u. Yield: Improved Varieties: 25 to 30 t/ha
Hybrids: 45-50 t/ha.
Solanaceous Crop: Type # 3. Chilli:
a. Botanical name: Capsicum annum L., Family: Solanaceae
b. Capsicin is the cause of pungency in chilli.
c. Capsenthin causes red colour in chilli.
d. C. annum and C.frutescence have ‘white flower’, while C. pubescence have ‘purple flower’.
e. Soil: Well drained loamy soils, rich in organic matter with pH range of 6.5-
f. Season of sowing:
1. January-February
2. June-July
3. September-October
j. Seed rate: 1.5-2.0 kg/ha.
h. Seed treatment: Treat with Trichodertna viride @ 4 g/kg of seeds.
i. Nursery area:
An area of 100 sq.m/ha is required. Seeds are sown in lines spaced at 10 cm in raised nursery beds and covered with sand. Apply Carbofuran 3 G at 10 g/sq.m during sowing. Drench the nursery with Copper oxy-chloride at 15 days interval against damping off disease.
j. Preparation of field:
Plough the land to a fine tilth. Form ridges and furrows 45 cm apart and transplant 35-40 days old seedlings at 30 cm spacing.
k. Varieties: California wonder, Golden wonder, Arka Mohini, Arka Gaurav, Arka Meghana, Arka Harita, Arka Sweta and Arka Lohit, Pusa Deepti, Champian, Tejashwini.
l. Hybrid: NP-46-A, Punjab lal, Pusa Jwala, Pant C-1, Andhra Jyoti.
I. Suitable for HDP: Jwalamukhi.
II. Tolerant to Powdery mildew: Arka lohit.
III. Bacterial wilt resistant varieties: Arka Gaurav, Utkal Rashmi.
IV. For colour extraction: Punjab lal..
V. Leaf curl resistant variety: Pusa Jwala, Pusa Sadabahar, Pant C-1.
VI. Multiple disease (leaf curl, wilt & dieback) resistant varieties: Punjab lal, Punjab Surkh
VII. Variety developed by using Genetic Male Sterility (GMS): CH-1
m. Irrigation: Irrigation is done at weekly intervals.
o. Application of fertilizers:
Apply FYM 25 t/ha, N 30 kg P 60 kg and K 30 kg/ha as basal and 30 kg N/ha each on 30, 60 and 90 days of planting. Application of potassium in the form of potassium sulphate will increase quality of pods.
p. Excess N with water stress causes Blossom end rot of chilli fruits.
q. Weed control:
Spray Fluchloralin 1 lit a.i/ha or Pendimethalin 1 kg a.i/ha or Oxyflourfen 0.15 kg a.i/ha as pre-emergence and may be combined with one hand weeding and earthing up 45 days after planting.
r. Intercropping:
The intercrops like onion and coriander can be grown for getting additional income. It can also help to control the weed population.
s. Growth regulator:
1. Spray Triacontanol at 1.25 ppm (1.25 ml/lit) on 20, 40, 60 and 80th day of planting to increase fruit set.
2. Spray NAA10 ppm (10 mg/lit of water) on 60 and 90 days after planting to reduce flower drop.
t. Harvest: Harvesting can be done 75 days after transplanting. First two picking yield green chilli and subsequently yield red ripe fruits.
u. Yield: 2 – 3 t/ha of dry pods or 10-15 t/ha of green chilli.
Green to dry chilli ratio = 10:1