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Vegetables>
Tomato>
Harvesting
Depending on the variety, fruits become ready
for first picking in about 60-70 days after transplanting.
The stage of harvesting depends upon the purpose
to which the fruits are to be used. The different
stages of harvesting are as follows-
- Dark green
colour- Dark green colour is changed
and a reddish pink shade is observed on fruit.
Fruits to be shipped are harvested at this stage.
Such fruits are then sprayed with ethylene 48
hours prior to shipping. Immature green tomatoes
will ripen poorly and be of low quality. A simple
way to determine maturity is to slice the tomato
with a sharp knife. If seeds are cut, the fruit
is too immature for harvest and will not ripen
properly.
- Breaker stage-
Dim pink colour observed on ¼ part of
the fruit. Fruits are harvested at this stage
to ensure the best quality. Such fruit are less
prone to damage during shipment often fetch
a higher price than less mature tomatoes.
- Pink stage-
Pink colour observed on ¾ part of the
fruit.
- Reddish pink-
Fruits are stiff and nearly whole fruit turns
reddish pink. Fruits for local sale are harvested
at this stage.
- Fully riped-
Fruits are fully riped and soft having dark
red colour. Such fruits are used for processing.
Fruits are normally harvested early in the morning
or evening. The fruits are harvested by twisting
motion of hand to separate fruits from the stem.
Harvested fruits should be kept only in basket
or crates and keep it in shade. Since all the
fruits do not mature at the same time, they are
harvested at an interval of 4 days. Generally
there will be 7-11 harvests in a crop life span.
Yield
The yield per hectare varies greatly according
to variety and season. On an average, the yield
varies from 20-25 t/ha. Hybrid varieties may yield
upto 50-60 t/ha.
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