Gezira of agric. 14(2): 1-11(2016)
Current
status of tomato greenhouse production in Khartoum and Gezira States, Sudan.
Sahar S. Ibrahim1,
Osman M. Elamin1, Mohammed E. Elkashif1 and Abdalla S.
Abdalla2
1Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of
Agricultural Sciences, University of Gezira, Sudan.
2Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of
Agricultural Sciences, University of Gezira, Sudan.
ABSTRACT
Tomato production under
protected cultivation has increased consistently in recent decades in the Sudan. The objective of this study was to investigate
the current situation of tomato cultural practices in existing greenhouses in
Khartoum and Gezira States. A survey was carried out using a questionnaire
and interviews with greenhouse owners in Khartoum and Gezira States. Khartoum
and Gezira States have about 68 greenhouse projects, 33 of them were selected
for the study. Data
were collected during 2013 and analyzed using statistical package for social
sciences (SPSS). Results indicated that a large number of introduced
tomato cultivars were used for production and most of greenhouse farmers
(48.5%) sow tomato seeds in mid-February. The majority of farmers (63.6%) grow tomato in high plant
density (30cm). More
than half of greenhouses (75.8 %) had no specific fertilizer
programs. Most of
the greenhouse farmers (90.9 %) prune weekly. All greenhouse farmers used
pesticides for pest control. Our observations indicated that most of the
growers failed to produce summer tomato. Accordingly, further research in tomato greenhouse
production is needed.
Sahar S. Ibrahim, Osman M.
Elamin, Mohammed E. Elkashif and Abdalla S. Abdalla
INTRODUCTION
Greenhouse technologies enable
the cultivation of crops in a controlled environment, regardless of the
external environment. Vegetable greenhouse production is currently used
commercially for the production of a wide range of vegetables including tomato,
cucumber, bell pepper , melons and other
crops ( (Pardossiet et al, 2004 and Tuzell,2013) .In the Sudan, the most
important vegetables produced under greenhouse conditions are cucumber and
tomato. Field tomato production in the Sudan is currently limited by the hot
summer conditions and the incidence of a large number of pests and diseases. Production
of off-season tomato can be achieved by using properly designed greenhouses to
suit the hot arid conditions of the Sudan. In addition, a wide range of
cultural practices need to be modified to suit tomato greenhouse production,
with the objective of optimizing production and maximizing economic returns.
These cultural practices include choice of cultivars, age of tomato
transplants, optimum spacing, irrigation, fertilizer use and pests and disease
control Young seedlings have proved to be better than old ones with respect to vegetative
growth and total yield (Vavrina, 1998). Knowledge of the optimum spacing
in greenhouse enhances production by increasing yields and possibly improving
quality of tomatoes (Kirimi et al, 2011). Soil tests complemented with plant tissue analysis are needed
for a most efficient fertilizer management program. Trace elements, such as zinc,
manganese and copper are increasingly recognized as essential when aiming for
better yields (Gupta, 2005).An integrated approach to insects and disease
management which involves the use of resistant cultivars; sanitation, sound
cultural practices and proper use of the correct pesticides,(Marwan, 2013).must
be used for pest and disease control,(Abdelhaq, 2013).The objective of this study was to investigate the
current situation of tomato cultural practices in existing greenhouses in Khartoum
and Gezira States, Sudan.
tomato greenhouse production
MATER IALS AND METHODS
A survey was conducted in Khartoum and
Gezira States to investigate the cultural practices of tomato in existing
greenhouses. Khartoum State is located between latitude 15° 14¢ and 16° 38¢ N and longitudes 31° 34¢ and 34° 21E¢. Gezira State is located between latitude 13°36¢ and 15° 16¢ N and longitudes 32° 26¢ and 34° 18¢ E. All
greenhouse projects in Khartoum and Gezira States were considered as the
population of the study. The total number of greenhouse projects in Khartoum
and Gezira States was 68, 33 of them were selected for the study. A
questionnaire was designed for provision of information needed. The personal
interview technique was used to administer the questionnaire Data collection included
cultural practices (sowing date, age of transplants, plant density,
fertilization, pruning interval, pest and disease control and tomato yield). Data were collected during 2013 and analyzed using statistical package
for social sciences (SPSS) to calculate frequency distribution and percentage for
descriptive analysis.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Sowing
date of tomatoes
Results
revealed that 48.5% of farmers sow tomato seeds in mid-February, 42.4% sow seeds in
end- March and 9.1% in mid-March (Table1). Under Sudan conditions off-season
tomato production in greenhouses fetches high prices and is very profitable. Production is generally seasonal
with two peaks; early summer and a second in autumn.
Martin, (2003) reported
that the best yields were achieved when seeds were sown in late
January and transplanted into the greenhouse in early March and tomatoes
commenced to ripen in late May. The current trend is to lengthen the crop cycle, despite some
undesirable consequences on plant performance, quality and harvesting time.
Although there are advantages in extending the cropping season, yet it is
necessary to take into account that the harvesting times of crops produced in
the open field and in greenhouses will overlap and the products will compete in
the same market (La Malfa and Leonardi, 2001).
Table.1.
Distribution of greenhouses according to sowing date.
|
Month |
Frequency |
% |
|
Mid-February |
16 |
48.5 |
|
Mid-March |
03 |
09.1 |
|
End –March Total |
14 33 |
42.4 100 |
Sahar S. Ibrahim, Osman M.
Elamin, Mohammed E. Elkashif and Abdalla S. Abdalla
Age of transplants
Distribution
of greenhouses according to age of tomato transplants is shown in Table 2.
Results indicated that 39.4% of farmer transplant tomato seedlings at the age
of 30 days and the same percentage (30.3%) transplant at 35 and 40 days old. Direct seeding of tomatoes is not used in
tomato greenhouse production due to the high cost of hybrid seed and the
specific conditions required for adequate germination. Direct seeding has other
disadvantages; (1) Weed control is usually much more difficult with direct seeded
than with transplanted tomatoes; (2) Direct seeding
requires especially well made seedbeds and controlled depth of planting and
in-row spacing. (3) Because of the shallow planting depth required for tomato seed,
the seed bed must be leveled to prevent
seeds from being washed away or covered too deeply with water-transported soil (William
and George, 2004).Transplanting tomato seedlings at an early age showed vigorous vegetative growth and vice versa
(Vavrina, 1998). In some countries, tomato transplant age of 3–5 weeks old is considered ideal, while
transplants age over 5 weeks old is
less desirable (Peet and Welles, 2005). Age of transplants strongly influences
subsequent growth and yield in the greenhouse. Used of properly selected
cultivars, improved production
systems and technical expertise may produce high yields in addition to
transplant age. Relatively young transplants are preferred for commercial
production under arid conditions because older seedlings are costly and
difficult to handle (Zeidan, 2005).
Table .2.
Distribution of greenhouses according to age of transplants.
|
Days |
Frequency |
% |
|
30 |
13 |
39.4 |
|
35 |
10 |
30.3 |
|
40 Total |
10 33 |
30.3
100 |
Plant density:
The majority of farmers (63.6%) grow tomato in high plant
density (30cm). Only 36.4% of them use more than 30cm between plants (Table 3).Optimal plant density
depends on cultivars, length of growing cycle, seasonal changes, climate, training
and pruning of the crop. Other considerations include greenhouse design and
climate control (particularly ventilation rate).
tomato greenhouse production
The optimum space between tomato plants in the greenhouse is generally
agreed to be 35cm to 40cm. However, to facilitate working space between plants, double rows are
recommended (Papadopoulos, 1992).Generally, high plant density
improves light interception, but if the ventilation rate is low, disease
problems occur and can become severe very quickly, requiring frequent pesticide
spraying. Plant density should be lower in long-cycle crops than in short-cycle
crops. Increased plant density results in increased biomass production due to
enlargement of the total crop leaf area, while single plant fresh weight and
fruit size are restricted (Yang et al, 2009).
Table.3. Distribution of greenhouses according
to the plant spacing.
|
Plant
spacing(cm) |
Frequency |
% |
|
30 |
21 |
63.6 |
|
More than30 |
12 |
36.4 |
|
Total |
33 |
100 |
Fertilization
Table 4 shows that the majority of farmers (75.8
%) had no specific fertilizer programs. There is a general belief that
abundant nutrient application is needed for high yield and quality. As a
result, growers tend to over fertilize tomatoes. This results in excessive
application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which results in low yield.
Micronutrients are often applied with NPK fertilizers when deficiency symptoms
are visible. In some cases, excessive application of one or more nutrients is
accompanied by inadequate supply of other nutrients. To prevent such problems,
a balanced fertilization program based on knowledge of plant nutrient
requirements and soil nutrient reserves is needed. .Fertigation can be used for the
adjustment of the amount and concentration of the applied nutrients according
to tomato needs throughout the growing season. In order to supply nutrients to
the crop effectively, the farmer must know the optimal daily nutrient
consumption rate during the growing season for maximum yield and good quality
(Scaife and Bar-Yosef, 1995).
Table 4. Distribution of greenhouses according
to fertilization.
|
Fertilization |
Frequency |
% |
|
No-program |
25 |
75.8 |
|
Program |
08 |
24.2 |
|
Total |
33 |
100 |
Sahar S. Ibrahim, Osman M.
Elamin, Mohammed E. Elkashif and Abdalla S. Abdalla
Pruning
interval
The majority of the farmers (90.9 %) pruned
tomato to one stem by removing all lateral shoots weekly, 6.1% after 10 days and 3.0% after 15
days (Table 5).Results revealed that most farmers pruned tomato in the right
intervals (every 7 days) since late pruning of side shoots has a negative
effect on crop performance because it results in developing side shoots which compete
with fruits; and also increases the risk of disease infection. The growing
season, climatic conditions, in- row spacing
and cultivars should be taken into consideration when deciding the number of
stems per plant (Tuzel,
2013).
Table.5. Distribution of greenhouses according
to pruning interval.
|
Pruning interval(days) |
Frequency |
% |
|
7 |
30 |
90.9 |
|
10 |
02 |
6.1 |
|
15 Total |
01 33 |
3.0 100 |
Pest and
disease control
Table 6 shows that all farmers (100%) used pesticides
for pest control. There are no registered pesticides approved for use on
the specific greenhouse crops grown in the Sudan. Pests enter greenhouses through cooling pads and during opening
of doors. Plants in protected agriculture become more susceptible to pests and
diseases for several reasons, including monoculture cultivation and the use of
selected, high-yielding varieties
(Abdelhaq,
2013). Greenhouses are also designed to maintain ideal environmental
conditions for crops. These conditions are also favorable for pests and
pathogens (optimal humidity, temperature, no rain and no wind). Pests and
pathogens may, therefore, be more prolific and cause more damage in greenhouses
than in open field conditions
(Tuzel, 2013).
Farmers rarely implement
systematic monitoring of pests and diseases in greenhouses as the basis for
plant protection decisions, which leads to overuse of pesticides. Greenhouse
management for the control of insects and diseases depends on the local
climate, external disease and insect pressure, the greenhouse structural
design, availability of climate control equipment, and the skill level of the
greenhouse workers (Marwan, 2013).
tomato greenhouse production
Table.6.
Distribution of greenhouses according to pest and disease control.
|
Pesticide |
Frequency |
% |
|
Using |
33 |
100 |
|
Not using Total |
0.0 33 |
0.0
100 |
Tomato
yield:
Results revealed that 48.5% of the farmers
did not produce any tomato yield during the summer season, 42.4% of them got
1.30 -2.65 kg/m² and
only 9.1% of farmers harvested 6.10 kg/m
Table7.
Distribution of greenhouses according to tomato yield .
|
Tomato yield (kg/m² ) |
Frequency |
% |
|
0.0 |
16 |
48.5 |
|
1.30 2.60 6.10 Total |
05 09 03 33 |
15.2 27.2
09.1 100 |
Sahar S. Ibrahim, Osman M.
Elamin, Mohammed E. Elkashif and Abdalla S. Abdalla
REFERENCES
Abdelhaq,
H. 2013. Integrated pest management. Good Agricultural Practices for Greenhouse
Vegetable Crops. Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.
Gupta, A.P. 2005. Micronutrient status and fertilizer
use scenario in India.
Journal
of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology 18: 325–331.
Ibrahim, S.S, O.M. Elamin, M.E. Elkashif and A.S. Abdalla . 2016. Status
of greenhouses in Khartoum and Gezira States, Sudan. Gezira Journal of Agriculture
Science 14(2) (in print).
Kirimi, J. K.,F.M.Itulya and V.N.Mwaja. 2011. Effects
of nitrogen and spacing on fruit yield of tomato. African Journal of
Horticultural Science 5:50-60.
La Malfa, G. and C. Leonardi. 2001. Crop practices,
techniques, trends and needs. Acta Horticulturae 559: 31–42.
Marwan, A. 2013. Integrated pest management and
plant hygiene under protected cultivation. Good Agricultural Practices for
Greenhouse Vegetable Crops. National Center for Agricultural Research and
Extension, Amman, Jordan.
Martin, P.N. 2003. Greenhouse Tomato Cultivar
Trials in Connecticut. The Connecticut Agricultural
Experiment Station. New Haven.Bulletin No. 990.
Pardossiet,A. F.Tognoni and L. Incrocci. 2004. Mediterranean
greenhouse technology. Crop Horticultura,44(2): 28–34.
Papadopoulos, T. 1992 . Growing greenhouse
tomatoes in soil and in soilless media. Greenhouse and Processing Crops
Research Centre, Harrow, Ontario, Canada.
Peet, M.M. and G.Welles.2005. Greenhouse tomato
production, pp 257-304.In: E. Heuvelink
(ed).
Scaife, A. and B. Bar-Yosef. 1995.Nutrient and fertilizer
management in field grown vegetables. IPI Bulletin No. 13. International Potash
Institute, Basel, Switzerland. pp104.
Tuzel, Y. 2013. Cultural Practices. Good Agricultural Practices
for Greenhouse.
tomato greenhouse production
Vegetable Crops. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.
Vavrina, C.S. 1998. Transplant age in vegetable
crops. Horticultural Techniques 8: 550–555.
William, T. K and B. George. 2004. Culture and Varieties.
Commercial Tomato Production Handbook. College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences. University of Georgia.
Yang, L, Y.Wang and Q. Dong. 2009.
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مجلة الجزيرة للعلوم
الزراعية المجلد14، العدد(2)2016م
الوضع الراهن لإنتاج الطماطم في
البيوت المحميه في ولايتي الخرطوم والجزيرة بالسودان
سحر
صالح إبراهيم1 وعثمان محمد الأمين ومحمد الحاج الكاشف وعبدالله سليمان
عبدالله2
1قسم علوم البساتين ،
كلية العلوم الزراعية ، جامعة الجزيرة ،مدني ، السودان.
2قسم الهندسه الزراعيه
,كلية العلوم الزراعية ، جامعة الجزيرة ،مدني ، السودان.
الخلاصة
ازداد انتاج الطماطم في البيوت المحميه فى
السنوات الأخيرة في السودان. تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى تقييم العمليات الفلاحية للطماطم
المزروعة في البيوت المحمية في ولايتي الخرطوم والجزيرة وتحديد اوجه القصور وأسباب
تدني الانتاج. جمعت المعلومات في 2013م بعمل مسح بالاستجواب المباشر للعينة
باستخدام الاستبيان لجمع المعلومات المطلوبة, وتم تحليل المعلومات باستخدام البرنامج
الإحصائي للعلوم الاجتماعية, وتم حساب التكرار والنسبة المئوية للتحليل الوصفي.
أوضحت النتائج عدم وجود اصناف موصي بها لزراعة الطماطم في البيوت
المحميه وإن أغلبية مزارعي البيوت
المحميه(48.5%) يقومون بشتل الطماطم في منتصف فبراير, كما أنّ الأغلبية(63.6% )من
المزارعين يزرعون الطماطم في كثافة نباتية عاليه ( 30 سم) و75.8% لا يقومون بتسميد المحصول وفق برنامج معلوم. كما
أوضحت النتائج أنّ معظم مزارعي
البيوت المحمية (90.9%) يقومون بتقليم
الطماطم اسبوعياً. وإنّ 100% من المزارعين فى البيوت المحمية يستخدمون المبيدات لمكافحة
الحشرات والامراض. أوضحت الدراسه إنّ معظم
المزارعين فشلوا في انتاج الطماطم الصيفية, بناءاً علي هذه الدراسة توجد حاجة الي إجراء
بحوث اضافية لإنتاج الطماطم في البيوت
المحمية .