Biotic constraints in tomato production in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh: A review

Tomato is the major vegetable crop in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Apart from fluctuations in market price, biotic constraints like insects and diseases are major havoc to tomato production. Tomato is grown year round in the district hence pest occurrence is also high due to continuous availability of host crop. Insects like Tuta absoluta; diseases like early blight, late blight, Fusarium wilt and Peanut Bud Necrosis Disease are major threat to tomato production. Early blight appears year round; late blight during winter and Fusarium wilt & Peanut Bud Necrosis Disease incidence is high during summer. Pesticides are the first option to the farmers to control the pests and integrated pest management practices are gaining importance in recent times. Border cropping, usage of pheromone traps, sticky traps, azadirachtin are helpful to keep pests below economic threshold level. Growing of resistant varieties, crop rotation, irrigation management, biocontrol agents and timely usage of fungicides reduces fungal inoculum and therefore disease incidence also gets reduced.