Tomato production area, growing environment and varieties

Tomato is a vegetable with the highest content of vitamin P and is a common vegetable on people’s tables. Let’s learn more about them.

tomato

Also known as tomato, it is rich in nutrients and contains rich carotene, vitamin C and B vitamins, especially vitamin P, which ranks first among vegetables.

The tomato's native place is Peru and Mexico. It was originally a wild berry that grew in the forest. The locals regarded it as a poisonous fruit and called it "wolf peach". It was only used for viewing and no one dared to eat it. It was not until the 18th century that people took the risk of eating tomatoes and knew its edible value. According to legend, a French painter saw that tomatoes were so tempting and had the idea of ​​tasting what they tasted like. So he risked death by poisoning and ate one with courage. He dressed and lay in bed waiting for the arrival of "death". However, after a long time, he did not feel any discomfort in his body, so he simply continued to eat it. He only felt a sweet and sour taste, and his body was still safe and sound. From then on, tomatoes became a delicacy on people's tables.

Tomatoes were introduced to China during the Ming Dynasty and have been used as ornamental plants for a long time. The "Qunfang Pu" written in 1621 states: "The tomato, also known as the June persimmon, has a stem like mugwort, is four or five feet high, has leaves like mugwort, and flowers like pomegranates. One branch bears five, three or four, or twenty or thirty fruits. It is best to tie it into a rack. It comes from the Western Fan, hence the name." It was not until the end of the Qing Dynasty that people began to eat tomatoes.

Origin

Tomatoes are widely cultivated around the world, with the United States, the Soviet Union, Italy and China being the main producers. In Europe and the United States, China and Japan, large areas of greenhouses, plastic greenhouses and other protected facilities are used for cultivation.

Growth environment

Tomatoes are thermophilic vegetables, resistant to low temperatures but not to heat. They grow well in seasons with an average monthly temperature of 18 to 25 degrees Celsius.

The pH value is 5-7, which is suitable for growing in slightly acidic and neutral soils, but not suitable for saline-alkali land. Lime can be used to adjust the acidity of the soil, but unimproved saline-alkali soil can easily cause tomatoes to dwarf and die. In addition, tomato plants are tall, have many leaves, and the fruits can be harvested many times. They require a lot of water and require soil moisture between 65% and 85%. They generally grow well in moist soil conditions.

variety

There are many varieties of tomatoes. The tomatoes that are mainly eaten raw include Momotaro, Fast, Mini tomatoes, etc. The tomatoes that are mainly used for processing include San Marzano, Chikou No. 3, Kurikoma 6500, Zhenju, Happy, etc. The wild tomatoes mainly include gooseberry tomatoes, hairy tomatoes, Peruvian tomatoes, and other varieties such as pumpkin-shaped tomatoes, June red, and Pentium Rosa.