Modern tomato production

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) is one of the most common and economically important vegetable crops grown in an open field and indoors. In Serbia, it is grown on about 20,000 ha and 180,0001 of tomato fruit are harvested. The average yields per hectare in the country are very low around 9,000 kg/ha. The reasons for such low yields do not lie in the genetic potential of tomato cultivars and hybrids grown but in the inadequacy of the growing technologies used and the reduced or inadequate application of mineral fertilizers and plant protection chemicals. The present paper describes tomato production and its demands related to growing conditions water requirements as affected by temperature, crop rotation, and soil selection. It also discusses fertilizer application in this crop as affected by soil fertility as well as tomato harvesting. Special attention is devoted to calculations used in outdoor tomato production from seeds and to the economy of tomato production. Tomato fruit production can be highly profitable, provided it makes use of appropriate cultural practices scientific discoveries and achievements of modern vegetable production.
Paradajz (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) je jedna od najčešćih i ekonomski najznačajnijih povrtarskih vrsta, koje se gaje na otvorenom polju i u zaštićenom prostoru. U Srbiji se paradajz gaji na oko 20.000 ha, sa ostvarenom proizvodnjom od 180.000 t ploda. Ostvareni prosečni prinosi po hektaru su veoma niski (u Srbiji) i kreću se oko 9.000 kg po hektaru. Razlozi ovako niskih prinosa nisu u genetskom potencijalu sorti i hibrida već u neadekvatnoj tehnologiji gajenja, smanjenoj i neadekvatnoj primeni mineralnih đubriva i sredstava za zaštitu bilja. U radu su dati uslovi uspevanja potrebe za vodom u zavisnosti od temperature, plodored i izbor zemljišta za proizvodnju paradajza. Dat je osvrt na đubrenje paradajza u zavisnosti od plodnosti zemljišta, kao i berba paradajza. Posebno je obrađena kalkulacija proizvodnje paradajza na otvorenom polju iz direktne setve i ekonomičnost proizvodnje. Proizvodnja ploda paradajza je profitabilna i visoko akumulativna, ukoliko se primenjuju: pravilna agrotehnika, naučna saznanja i dostignuća savremene povrtarske proizvodnje.