Where are the latest production areas of tomatoes?
The tomato is a herbaceous plant in the Solanum genus of the Solanaceae family, with the scientific name Solanum lycopersicum. Its fruit is rich in nutrients and has a distinctive flavor. It is a vegetable and fruit of midsummer and can be eaten raw, cooked, processed into tomato sauce or juice, or canned whole. Below, let us take a look at where the tomato production areas are!
Where are the tomato production areas?
The tomato originated in South America, with its center of origin in the Andes mountain region of South America. In Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and other places, large areas of wild species are still distributed to this day. It is currently one of the most commonly cultivated fruit vegetables in the world, and it is widely planted throughout our country, with the cultivated area still continuing to expand.
The production environment of tomatoes
1. Temperature: The tomato is a warmth-loving vegetable. Under normal conditions, the optimum temperature for assimilation is 20-25°C, and the optimum soil temperature for root growth is 20-22°C. Raising the soil temperature can not only promote root development, but also significantly increase the nitrate nitrogen content in the soil, accelerating growth and development and increasing yield.
2. Light: The tomato is a light-loving crop, with a light saturation point of 70000lx and a suitable light intensity of 30000-50000lx. The tomato is a short-day plant. In the process of transitioning from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, it basically requires short days, but the requirement is not strict. Some varieties can bud and bloom earlier under short days, while most varieties bloom earlier and grow robustly under 11-13 hours of sunlight.
3. Water: The tomato needs a relatively large amount of water, but it does not need frequent large-scale irrigation. Generally, a soil moisture of 60-80% and an air humidity of 45-50% are suitable. High air humidity not only hinders normal pollination, but also causes severe disease under high temperature and high humidity conditions.
4. Soil: The tomato is not very strict about soil conditions, but to obtain high yields and promote good root development, fertile loam soil with deep soil layers, good drainage and rich organic matter should be selected. The soil pH should preferably be 6-7, and soil that is too acidic or too alkaline should be improved.
The plant culture of tomatoes
The tomato first grew in Peru and Mexico in South America and was a wild berry growing in forests. Because of its bright and delicate color, the locals regarded it as a poisonous fruit, viewing it as “the fruit of the fox” and calling it “wolf peach”. It was only used for ornamentation, and no one dared to eat it, treating it only as an ornamental plant.
According to records, in the 16th century, a duke named Oratora in England traveled in South America and liked the tomato, this ornamental plant, very much. So he brought it back to England as if he had obtained a treasure, and presented it to his lover Queen Elizabeth as a gift of love to express his affection. From then on, the names “love fruit” and “lover's fruit” spread widely. But people all planted tomatoes in their estates and gave them to their loved ones as gifts symbolizing love.
Generation after generation passed, and still no one dared to eat tomatoes. By the 17th century, a French painter had painted tomatoes many times. Facing such a beautiful and lovely yet “poisonous” berry, he simply could not resist its temptation, and so the idea of tasting it himself arose. He took the risk of his life and ate one, finding it sweet, sour, and with sweetness within the sourness. However, as he lay in bed waiting to die, he was actually fine, and so the news that “tomatoes are not poisonous and can be eaten” quickly spread throughout the world.
From then on, hundreds of millions of people have safely enjoyed the culinary fortune brought by this brave warrior who “dared to be first in the world” at the risk of his life. By the 18th century, Italian chefs used tomatoes to make fine dishes, brilliant in color and delicious in taste, and guests praised them endlessly. The tomato finally made it onto the dining table. From then on, the tomato won everyone's love and was praised as the red fruit, golden apple, ruby, and love fruit.