Tomato is a tropical crop that produces its fruits or vegetables.The color of the fruit is green or green-yellow, or yellow-white. There are different types of bitter tomatoes which are natural bitter tomatoes and some are hybrids that are not as bitter as the original ones.
THE ENVIRONMENT
This crop thrives well in temperate climates with moderate temperatures ranging from 25 ° C to 35 ° C, it prefers well-drained and fertile soil. If you can use manure and compost or natural fertilizers together , then bitter tomatoes grow very well.
PREPARING THE NURSERY
Bitter tomato seeds are prepared in the nursery first before being sent to the field.
Instructions for preparing bitter tomato nursery.
- Choose an area to start the nursery in places where water is easily available.
- Raise the soil of the nursery until it reaches a height of 20 cm and a width of 1 meter and any length. Crush large lumps of soil to get smooth soil.
- Put well-rotted natural fertilizer, mix one big bucket of 20 liters of that fertilizer for an area of 1 meter by 1 meter (1 m2). So if your nursery embankment is 5 meters long and 1 meter wide, you will put 5 buckets of natural fertilizers.
- If it is summer time, water your embankment for 3 days in a row until the soil is well mixed.
SOW THE SEED
Instructions on how to sow the seeds correctly
- Make trenches with a depth of 2 cm to cut the embankment, the space between one trench and another is 15 cm or half a ruler.
- Plant your seeds in the trenches, then cover them with soft soil.
- Place grass mulch on the embankment to prevent direct sunlight and water droplets.
- Water your nursery on the grass in the morning and evening every day. But it is recommended to water your nursery in the evening.
- Bitter tomato seeds germinate after 10 to 14 days from sowing. After the seeds have germinated, apply grass mulch and then place the mulch between the rows of seedlings.
- Make a shade of grass mulch on top of the one-meter-high nursery, the grass shade must be at least slightly translucent to allow light to reach the seedlings.
Seedlings are ready to be transferred to the field after one month to one and a half months since the seeds germinate. The space for transplanting bitter tomatoes is 1 meter by 1 meter (ie 1 meter stem to stem and 1 meter row to row)
Before transplanting the seedlings, dig holes of a moderate size, put well-rotted manure as much as one hand full, and then cover the soil. After covering the soil, transplant your seedling, one seedling in each hole. If it is summer, transplant in the evening, after transplanting, water well.
TAKE CARE OF THE FIELD
Vegetables, including bitter tomatoes, do not like weeds in the field, so make sure you weed all the time to ensure weeds do not affect the plant's well-being.
Manage various diseases and insects that affect this crop, using various drugs and the use of various fertilizers to fertilize the plants where necessary and organic farming.
HARVEST
Bitter tomatoes are ready to harvest within 90 to 120 days from transplanting. Bitter tomatoes can be harvested 1 or 2 times a week. Bitter tomato fruits should be harvested before they change color from white to pale yellow.
these bitter tomato fruits can be processed into flour. To process bitter tomatoes into powder follow the following steps;
- Choose the best bitter tomatoes and wash them in water
- Cut the bitter tomatoes into small pieces, then spread the pieces on a clean mat or canvas
- Boil those pieces of bitter tomatoes in the sun until they dry.
- After the pieces dry well, grind them using a mill or a hand machine until they become powder.
- Store the powder in a clean, airtight container.
- You can use the flour on beans, nuts, meat and other vegetables, the vegetables put in this bitter tomato flour become very sweet and have enough nutrients
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CROPPING SYSTEM