SEED PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES IIN VEGETABLES

TOMATO (Lycopersicum esculentus)

Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops grown extensively in

the tropical and subtropical belts of the world. It is grown mainly fresh market and
to a little extent for processing. Increased attention is now being bestowed to
breeding and production of tomato. Production of tomato can further be increased
if improved cultural practices are combined with good quality seeds. The quality
seed production techniques in tomato comprises of the following steps.

Botany

Tomato is a typical day neutral plant. It requires temperature of 15-20° C for

fruit setting. Tomato is self pollinated crop. Self fertilization is favoured by the
position of receptive stigma within the cone anthers and the normal pendant
position of the flower.

Method of seed production : Seed to Seed.

Stages of seed production

Breeder seed - Foundation Seed I - Foundation Seed II - Certified Seed

Varieties :

Indeterminate varieties

Pusa Ruby, Solan Gola, Yaswant (A-2), Sioux, Marglobe, Naveen,

Ptom-9301, Shalimar- 1, Shalimar-2. Angurlata, Solan Bajr, Solan Sagun, Arka
Vikas. Arita Saurbh.

Determinate varieties

Roma (EC-13513), Rupali, MTH-15, Ptom-18, VL-1, VL-2, HS 101, HS 102,

HS 110, Pusa Early Dwarf, Pusa Sheetal, Floradade, Arka Meghli, Co.1, Co.2, Co.3
(Marutham), PKM.1, Py1,

Hybrids

COTH-1, Pant Hybrid-2, Pant Hybrid-10, Kt-4. Pusa Hybrid-l-4, Arka

Shreshta, Arka Vardan, Arka Abhijit, Navell 1 &2 (Sandoz), Rupali, Sonali, MTH 6

Season : May - June and November - December

Land requirement

Selection of suitable land for tomato seed production is important where the
previous crop should not be the same variety to avoid the contamination due to the
volunteer plants.

Isolation requirement

For Seed production of tomato, varieties require minimum of 50 M for

foundation seed and 25 M for certified seed. For hybrid seed production, it requires
minimum of 200 M for foundation (parental line increase) and 100 M for certified
hybrid seeds.

Seed rate

For i) Varieties - 300- 400 g/ha ii) For F 1 hybrid - Male parent 25 g/ha;
Female parent 100 g/ha.
Nursery

Sow the seeds in raised nursery bed of 20 cm height, in rows of 5 cm gap

and covered with sand. Eight and ten nursery beds will be sufficient to transplant
one acre. Apply 2 kg of DAP 10days before pulling out of seedling.

Transplanting

Transplanting should be done with the seedlings are 20-25 days old,
preferably at evening time. Spacing is 60 x 45 cm (90 x 60 cm for female parent
and 60 x 45 cm for male parent of hybrids).

Manuring

After thorough preparation of a field to fine tilth, apply 25 tons of FYM per
ha. Apply 100 : 100: 100 Kg of NPK/ha of which, 50% of the N is applied as

Roguing

The roguing should be done based on the plant characters (determinate /

indeterminate), leaf, branching and spreading characters and also based on fruit
size, shape and color. The plants affected by early blight, leaf spot and mosaic
(TMV) diseases should be removed from the seed production field.

Planting ratio

For hybrid seed production, the female and male parents are normally
planted in the ratio of 12:1 or 12:2.

Pest and disease management

The major pests attacking tomato crop are leaf eating caterpillars and fruit
borers, which can be controlled by spraying. The major diseases in tomato are
early blight and mosaic virus. The early blight rot can be controlled by spraying
Benlate or Dithane M-45.

Harvesting seed extraction and processing

The fruits are harvested after full maturity of the fruit when turn in to red
color fruits from first and last one or two harvests should not be used for seed
extraction.
Stages of maturation: Mature green, Breaker, Turning, Pink, Red, Dark red / over
ripe

The fruits from in between 6-7 harvest should be used for seed extraction.
The seed viability is depends on the method on which the seeds were extracted and
hence, it is more important to choose proper methods of seed extraction. Before
seed extraction, the fruits are to be graded for true to type and selection of medium
to large size fruits for getting higher recovery of quality seeds.

The acid method of seed extraction is the best method for tomato seed
extraction. In this method, the fruits are to be crushed into pulp and taken in a
plastic containers (or) cement tank. And then add 30 ml of commercial
Hydrochloric acid per kg of pulp, stir well and allow it for ½ hour. In between this
duration the pulp may be stirred well for one or two times. This facilitates the
separation of seed and pulp. After ½ hour, the seeds will settle down at the bottom
and then the floating fraction is to be removed. The collected seeds should be
washed with water for three or four times.

 While following acid method we must use only plastic or stainless steel
containers or cement tank.

 Care must be taken to avoid the usage of iron or zinc containers, which will
affect the viability potential of the seeds and as well damage to the
containers due to chemical reaction with acid.

 For large scale seed extraction we can use the tomato seed extractor
developed by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

 The seeds extracted by this machine may again be treated with commercial
Hydrochloric acid @ 2-3 ml/kg seed with equal volume of water for 3-5
minutes with constant stirring. And then seed should be washed with water
for to four times.
  It is easy to dry the seeds extracted by acid method and also remove the
fungus growth over the seed coat, thus seeds possess golden yellow colour
and high vigour.

 The seed extracted by fermentation method posses poor vigour and off
colour due to fungal activity.

Comparison of different seed extraction methods

Fermentation Acid Alkali

Method Mix fruit pulp with HCl @10ml / Washing soda @

water - 24 - 48 h 900mg/4 l of
Kg of pulp - 20-30
water- equal
minutes
volume – overnight
soak

Salient • Low cost. • Cost is more. • Recovery 0.7 to

features 0.8
• Unskilled • Skilled labour
labour. per cent
• Lesser Time
• More Time • Luster of the
• High seed
taken seeds will be
recovery (0.8
lost.
• Low Seed to 1 %)
recovery (0.5 • Improper washing
• Bright colour
to 0.6 % leads to
market value
injury to
• Dull seed higher.
seeds
colour.
• Seed borne
• Seed..borne.. pathogen –
pathogens removed
• Improper
washing leads to
injury to seeds
Fermentation method

Manual Crushing Fermentation

Washing Extracted seed

Acid seed extraction

Mechanical Crushing Extracted seed

Acid treatment Washing of seeds

Drying and grading
Seeds are to be dried in the shade. It should never be dried in hot sun. the
safe moisture content of the seed for grading is 8 to 9 per cent. Seeds can be
graded using 6/64’’ round perforated sieve.
Storage
The seeds dried to safe moisture content after treating either with captan or
thiram @ 2 g/kg can be stored for 15 months in moisture vapour pervious
containers, while it can be stored in moisture vapour proof containers for 30
months.
Hybrid seed production:

In tomato the hybrid seed production is normally done by 'Emasculation and

Hand Pollination'. However use of chemical hybridizing agents (MH-1000 ppm) or
CMS lines are also practiced

Emasculation and dusting

1. Emasculation is done before the anthers are mature and the stigma has
become receptive to minimize accidental self pollination.

Selection of flower

2. Thus emasculation is generally done in the evening, between 4 PM and 6 PM

one day before the anthers are expected to dehisce or mature and the
stigma is likely to become fully receptive.

3. Emasculate the bud by hand with the help of needle and forceps. Remove
the calyx, corolla and staminal column or anthers, leaving gynoecium
i.e., stigma and style intact in the flower.

Removal of anther cone Removal of corolla

4. Emasculated flowers should be covered immediately with red coloured paper

cover to protect against contamination from foreign pollen and also for easy
identification of emasculated bud during dusting.
5. Remove the red paper cover of the emasculated bud and dust the pollen
gently over the stigmatic surface using cotton or camel brush, etc.,

Emasculated flower Dusting of pollen

6. After dusting, the emasculated flowers are again covered with white or other
coloured paper cover for two to three days.

7. Pollen collected from one male flower can be used for dusting 5 to 7
emasculated flowers.

Pollen collection

Male flower Collected flower

Drying of flower Collection of pollen I

 Collection of pollen II Pollen for hybrid crosses

Seed Yield : 100 -120 Kg/ha

Seed Certification

Number of Inspections

A minimum of three inspections shall be made as follows:

1. The first inspection shall be made before flowering on order to verify isolation,
volunteer plants, and other relevant factors,

2. The second inspection shall be made during flowering to check isolation, offtypes
and other relevant factors

3. The third inspection shall be made at maturity and prior to harvesting to verify true
nature of plant and other relevant factors

Specific requirements

Factors Foundation Certified

Off types - variety 0.1 % 0.2%

Hybrid 0.01% 0.05%

Plants affected by seed borne diseases 0.1 % 0.5%

Seed standard (variety and hybrid)

Factors Foundation Certified

Pure seed (mini) 98% 98%

Inert matter (maxi) 2% 2%

Other crop seeds (maxi) 5/kg 5/kg 10/kg

Weed seeds (maxi) None None

Germination (mini) 70% 70%

Moisture (maxi) 8% 8%

For VP container 6% 6%