Tomato success story - Ajit Gholap Junnar

Ajit Gholap is a modern farmer from Junnar. Here are some tips he has given for better yield of tomatoes.

• Get seed and sapling sales data to find out how much cultivation of tomato is happening. If more people are planting tomato saplings, it means supply will be higher and hence prices of tomato will be lower. Based on sales data, Ajit decides if he want to go ahead with plantation.
• Soil conition - PH of 7 and Well drained soil is required for tomato plants
• land plowing and using rotovator is necessary
• Selecting variety - oval shape and round shape varieties are available. for Summer Season, different varieties are available.
• 6000 saplings will be required to do plantation in 1 acre
• Use of Double drip and sprinkler is necessary to reduce heat stroke. Neem oil can be passed via sprinkler to prevent diseases.
• Mulching paper - silver 25 micron thick, 5 layer mulching paper is necessary
• After plantation - phoshporous, micro nutrient, potassium should be supplied as necessary.
• On 16th day of plantation, plants need support - trellis and netting should be setup. Use normal sutali. Do not use plastic sutali
• Harvesting can start 3-4 months after plantation.

Fertilizer

Below types of fertilizers can be used as and when necessary.

• Organic fertilizer - cow dung and chicken manure - npk 444 can be used.
• DAP
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Tomato Diseases

Tomatoes must be protected from below diseases.

• karpa - blight
• cmv virus - cucumber mosaic virus can cause huge damage to crops so necessary precaution must be taken.
• chikat trap, fly traps

Market

Tomatoes can be sold at below markets.

• Narayngaon, Junnar
• Gultekdi, Pune
• Baramati Market Yard

Revenue and profits

• With modern farming, 40 ton (40000 kg) yield is possible per acre
• With rate of Rs. 20 per kg, you can make revenue of 8 lakhs.
• If you consider cost of 3 lakhs, you can make 5 lakh per acre profit