Tomato

Summary

The tomato (təmeɪtoʊ or təmaːtoʊ) is the edible berry of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Nahuatl word tomatl gave rise to the Spanish word tomate, from which the English word tomato derived. Its domestication and use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Mexico. The Aztecs used tomatoes in their cooking at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, and after the Spanish encountered the tomato for the first time after their contact with the Aztecs, they brought the plant to Europe, in a widespread transfer of plants known as the Columbian exchange. From there, the tomato was introduced to other parts of the European-colonized world during the 16th century. Tomatoes are a significant source of umami flavor. They are

Official source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato

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Kinetics of mass and DNA decomposition in tomato leaves

2005

Reuse of domestic wastewater treated in macrophyte ponds to irrigate tomato and eggplant in semi-arid West-Africa: benefits and risks

André Mermoud

The scarcity of freshwater resources is a critical problem in semi-arid zones and marginal quality water is increasingly being used in agriculture. This paper aimed at evaluating the physico-chemical and biological risks on irrigated soils and fruits of macrophyte treated wastewater (TWW), the nutrients supply, and the effect on tomato and eggplant production in semi-arid Burkina Faso. During three years of experiments, treated wastewater was used, with fresh water as control, in combination with or without mineral fertilizer application at recommended rate (140 kg N/ha + 180 kg P2O5/ha + 180 kg K2O/ha). The study revealed that the treated wastewater provided variable nutrients supply depending on year and element. The treated wastewater without mineral fertilizer improved eggplant yield (40% in average) compared to the freshwater. Both crops responded better to mineral fertilizer (52% for tomato and 82% for eggplant) and the effects of the treated wastewater and fertilizer were additive. As the N supply of TWW was very unsteady (8-227% of crop need), and P2O5 supply did not satisfy in whole crop need (3-58%) during any of the three years of experiment, we recommended that moderate N and P2O5 fertilizers be applied when irrigating with TWW in semi-arid West-Africa. On the contrary, the K2O supply was more steady and close to crop requirement (78-126%) over the three years of experiment and no addition of K fertilizer may be needed when irrigated with TWW. Faecal coliforms and helminth eggs were observed in treated wastewater and irrigated soils at rate over the FAO and WHO recommended limits for vegetable to be eaten uncooked. Tomato fruits were observed to be faecal coliform contaminated with the direct on-foliage irrigation with treated wastewater. Our results indicate that treated wastewater can effectively be used as both nutrients source and crop water supply in market gardening in the semi-arid Sub-Saharan West Africa (SSWA) where freshwater and farm income are limiting. Yet consumers should properly cook or disinfect treated-wastewater irrigated vegetables before eating, and market gardeners should also be careful manipulating treated wastewater to avoid direct health contamination in this environment. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Elsevier2011

Field experiments were combined with a numerical model to optimize drip irrigation management based on soil matric potential (SMP) measurements. An experimental crop of eggplant was grown in Burkina Faso from December 2014 to March 2015 and plant response to water stress was investigated by applying four different irrigation treatments. Treatments consisted in using two different irrigation depths (low or high), combined with a water provision of 150%, 100% or 66% (150/100/66) of the maximum crop evapotranspiration (T150low, T66low, T100high, T66high). Soil matric potential measurements at 5, 10 and 15 cm depth were taken using a wireless sensor network and were compared with measurements of plant and root biomass and crop yields. Field data were used to calibrate a numerical model to simulate triggered drip irrigation. Different simulations were built using the software HYDRUS 2D/3D to analyze the impact of the irrigation depth and frequency, the irrigation threshold and the soil texture on plant transpiration and water losses. Numerical results highlighted the great impact of the root distribution on the soil water dynamics and the importance of the sensor location to define thresholds. A fixed optimal sensor depth of 10 cm was found to manage irrigation from the vegetative state to the end of fruit development. Thresholds were defined to minimize water losses while allowing a sufficient soil water availability for optimal crop production. A threshold at 10 cm depth of −15 kPa is recommended for the early growth stage and −40 kPa during the fruit formation and maturation phase. Simulations showed that those thresholds resulted in optimal transpiration regardless of the soil texture so that this management system can constitute the basis of an irrigation schedule for eggplant crops and possibly other vegetable crops in semi-arid regions.

Elsevier2016

Reuse of domestic wastewater treated in macrophyte ponds to irrigate tomato and eggplant in semi-arid West-Africa: benefits and risks

André Mermoud

Elsevier2011