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A36—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 27,1982
Processing tomatoes,
a revived
for Del.
NEWARK, Del. Delaware’s
vegetable industry is alive, strong,
and a very important part of
Delaware’s agricultural economy.
“There are approximately 40,000
to 45,000 acres of vegetables in
Delaware, a figure that hasn’t
changed much in the last five
years,” says University of
Delaware Extension vegetable
specialist Ed Kee. Opportunities
abound for both fresh market and
processing crops, he says.
One processing crop that’s
making a small comeback is
tomatoes. “Due to the increased
popularity of tomato products with
fast-food restaurant chains and
other outlets, some Delmarva
processors are offering contracts
for tomatoes to be harvested
mechanically,” reports Kee.
Delaware farmers used to grow a
significant amount of this crop for
canneries, but acreage declined as
the number of canners shrank.
“Of course,” he says, "all
growers need to weigh the
economics of any one farm en
terprise versus another. In the
case of processing tomato con
tracts, the gross value per ton isn’t
the only factor to consider.' ’
Make sure the contract also
makes clear which party pays for
the seed or plants, who assumes
hauling and harvesting costs, how
other production costs will be
handled, and what value will be
placed on reductions for lower
grade products. All these factors
must be considered in comparing
the potential profit of any
processing vegetable against corn,
soybeans, fresh market vegetables
or some other farm enterprise, he
says.
Growers who are thinking of
raising tomatoes for a processor
need to consider some other basic
production factors, too. Tomatoes
should be, grown on a well-drained
sandy loam, loamy sand or loam
soil. Uniform soil conditions are
important for uniform maturity
and harvest. Avoid fields that are
heavy and poorly drained.
Field orientation is also im
portant. Long rows speed field
operations by reducing turning
time. Rows running north-south
allow windbreaks that cut the
northwest spring winds which
sandblast seedlings on Oelmarva.
It’s a good idea to leave unplowed
small grains every 80-100 feet for
these windbreaks, advises the
specialist.
The soil surface should be as
level as possible to insure proper
recovery of fruit by the harvester.
It’s desirable to form a bed four to
six inches high. This will unprove
drainage, simplify weed control
and encourage uniform plant
growth.
“Perhaps the most sigificant
improvement in the processing
tomatc business is the recent
development o! good varieties,”
the specialist says. “In the last
decade, several good-yielding,
high-quality, crack- and disease
resistant varieties have appeared.
Three of the leading ones are
Campbell 38, U.S. 28, and VFI34-1-
2. All of these are determinate
vmed varieties.”
When growing tomatoes, follow
soil tests for fertility rates. Limit
nitrogen levels to 50 to 75 pounds
per acre for transplants and 40 to
60 pounds for direct-seeded plants.
Approximately half of this should
be broadcast and half side-dressed
during the season. The uniformity
of maturity can be affected by how
and when you you fertilize, says
alternative
growers
Kee. The nitrogen should be almost
used up when most of the fruits
turn red. It’s important to avoid
heavy and late applications on
tomatoes which are to be machine
harvested. When growth
regulators are used, increase the
nitrogen rate by 20 pounds.
Planting date depends on
whether you establish your crop by
direct-seeding or transplants.
Direct-seeding should start when
the soil at one inch is 55 degrees—
usually about April IS or 20 in
Sussex county. There are precision
planters now that do a good job of
planting small-seeded vegetables
like tomatoes, says Kee.
But if you’re just getting started
with this crop, transplants may be
the best way to go. Set them out as
soon as possible after the frost-free
date. For lower Kent and Sussex
counties this means late April or
early May.
Transplants set in early May will'
be ready for harvest about one
week before April 20 direct-seeding
plantings of the same variety. One
factor to consider with direct
seeding is that Colorado potato
beetle? can destroy emerging
seedlings.
Rows for tomatoes should be five
feet wide. Seed spacing for direct
seeded plants will vary according
to the type of planter used.
Perhaps the way to obtain the best
stand is to overplant and then thin,
says Kee. This requires planting 20
to 30 seeds per foot and then
thinning back to two to three plants
every six to nine inches. Shallow or
rotary cultivation may be
necessary to allow seedlings to
emerge through a crusted soil.
Set transplants one foot apart in
the row with rows five feet apart.
This will require 8,712 plants per
acre. Use good sturdy plants that
are not too "leggy”. These can be
grown in greenhouses, field plant
beds, or shipped in from southern
sources.
The last major consideration in
growing tomatoes is use of the
growth regulator ethephon to
promote ripening. Trade names
for this material are Ethrel and
Cepha. Apply it when 10 to 30
percent of the fruits are ripe or
pink. It’s important to sample
accurately to determine time of
application.
Growers who want to obtain
lurther information on ethephon
use and other aspects of processing
tomato production may want to
obtain copies of New Jersey Ex
tension bulletin No. 36 or Maryland
mimeo HE 123-81, “Growing
Tomatoes for Mechanical Har
vesting.” In Delaware, reprints
are available from Extension
offices in Newark, Dover and
Georgetown.
TRACTOR SAFETY HINT
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It's got horsepower...
but it s noi a horse Avoid using
tractorslor thtngsthey weren t made
to do things like running errands
bringing in the cows or doing
wheelies
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