Weeds control is an important process during tomato cultivation. Otherwise the weeds will eat the nutrients from the soil, form fertilizers and suppress tomato crops.
This article will help the farmers to guide how to control three main weeds during tomato cultivation.
This article will help the farmers to guide how to control three main weeds during tomato cultivation.
1.Lambs Quarter
This weed almost looks like the tomato crop in appearance. It competes with the main crop for spaces, sunlight, water, nutrition, and growth. It produces and protects insect pests and helps to spread diseases in the field.
2.Scarlet Pimpernel
This weed which has small and thick green leaves with orange flowers can be found along with the tomato crops. As similar to lambs quarter this weed competes with the main crop for space, sunlight, water, nutrition and growth. It harbor insect pests and spread diseases in the field.
3.Blue grass
Blue grass with needle like leaves can be found along with tomato crop which blocks sunlight, nutrition that belongs to the main crop and suppress the main tomato crop in the field. Pests will be produced by the grass and spread along the field that spreads disease in tomato crops.
IPM Practices to control weeds in tomato crops
- Keep the nursery beds weed free by hand weeding
- Avoid carrying weed seedlings along with tomato seedlings
- Cultural practices such as crop rotation, line transplanting , intercropping should be adopted to avoid weeds spread and to suppress the weed growth.