DTPH-60: New promising tomato hybrid developed in India

India is the second largest vegetable producer in the world next to China with a total production of 180 million tonnes from an area of 10.4 million hectares with the productivity level of 17.3 t/ha (NHB Database 2017-18).  Though the vegetable sector is growing very fast, still we have to go a long way to meet the rising demand of the ever-increasing population.  To achieve this target, we have to increase our vegetable productivity by incorporation of newly developed hybrids and high yielding varieties as well as the adoption of various technologies, like, protected cultivation, drip and sprinkler irrigation, off-season vegetable production, container & terrace gardening etc. Many times farmers produce a good amount of cucumber, capsicum and tomatoes during the main season, which eventually leads to the market glut and fall in price. On the other hand, due to extreme weather conditions, it is difficult to grow high-value vegetables, like tomato, capsicum, cucumber etc. in open field condition especially during rainy and winter season. Therefore, polyhouse technology has been found very effective for off-season production as well as around the year production of these high-value vegetables. 

 

For cultivation under protected condition, the varieties, as well as cultivation practices, are different from the open field condition. As present vegetables, like cucumber, tomato and capsicum are the most popular and commercially grown vegetables for the protected condition. As we know that tomato is a third important vegetable in India after potato and onion from a production point of view, which evident from its total production of 19.4 million tonnes and productivity level of 24.7t/ha at all India level (NHB Database 2017-18).  Moreover, at present no hybrid of tomato is available with the public sector for protected condition and the private sectors are selling hybrid seeds at a very high cost. 

 

Keeping above in view, Division of Vegetable Science, ICAR-IARI have developed several genotypes /hybrids which are under processes of release to provide farmers seeds of these varieties/hybrids at reasonable prices and ensure production of high-value vegetables having quality fruits round the year. The most promising line hybrid DTPH-60 was demonstrated at Chomu, Jaipur Rajasthan on Farmers field during 2018-19. 

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