Cultivation of Tomato under Protected Structures: Need of Hour

Current study has been made to investigate about the cultivation practices followed by respondents growing tomato under poly house in six district of Punjab. In main season, glut of vegetable arises in the market which lowers down the price. Due to shortage of processing industry and storage infrastructure, off season vegetable is the viable option to enhance the income and quality of produce. The findings of the study revealed that majority of the respondents i.e. 57.90 per cent sown the tomato crop before the recommended time while, 21.05 per cent of respondents sown the crop at recommended time. Whereas 21.05 per cent of respondents sown the tomato crop after the recommended time under protected structures. It can also be notable that 68.43 per cent of the respondents grown their own nursery for tomato crop out of which 38.46 per cent grown nursery directly in field and 61.54 per cent used plug trays to grow the nursery. Data further showed that 31.57 per cent of the respondents did not grown the nursery and purchased the seedlings, out of which half of the respondents used recommended number of seedling while remaining half used less than recommended number of seedlings. Study further revealed that transplanting of the seedling delayed by 26.31 per cent of the respondents whereas 21.05 per cent of the respondents reported early transplanting before the recommended time in tomato. It is concluded that capacity building and trainings should be provided for hundred percent recommendation achievement.