Greenhouse cultivation is the only way forward for Yuanmou tomatoes
The Yuanmou market has been sluggish recently, and growers can't muster any enthusiasm. Based on the actual situation, the author has summarized some reasons for the low prices of Yuanmou tomatoes, as well as the way forward for continued Yuanmou tomato cultivation in the future, for everyone's reference.
1 Quality
High temperatures, dry air, and large day-night temperature differences lead to poor root vitality and stunted plant growth; tomato fruits don't grow large and quality is poor.
2 Blindly following trends
In 2017, the national tomato acreage surged dramatically. Farming is a long-term, sustained industry; growers should plant whatever suits their own various conditions, and must not blindly follow trends.
3 Market
In the past, the north basically had no vegetables by November, and the nearby Panzhihua market didn't bring produce to market until March, giving Yuanmou a three-month opportunity. Now, apart from Yuanmou, all other regions use greenhouse cultivation; the north extends its harvest period, and Panzhihua, Yuxi, and Mengzi bring produce to market earlier. At the same price, buyers and consumers will certainly choose the better quality.
4 How should tomatoes be grown from now on?
Yuanmou previously relied on its natural greenhouse climate for vegetable cultivation. Now the climate is harsh and the natural greenhouse advantage is gone. We can't change the larger environment; only by creating a small environment suitable for tomato growth can we grow good tomatoes.
5 Greenhouse cultivation is the only way out
If Yuanmou tomatoes adopt greenhouse cultivation to improve quality, and with the Nengyu trading market serving as a transshipment hub for southern vegetables, the market can still be won back. If Yuanmou tomatoes don't use greenhouse cultivation and don't improve quality, where will Yuanmou tomatoes be sold in three years?
Now let me share some actual data from the Yuanmou area where simple greenhouses have already been used for cultivation, for everyone's reference.
1. Greenhouse tomatoes fetch 0.5 to 1 yuan more per kilogram than open-field grown ones.
2. Greenhouse tomato cultivation can use hanging lines instead of building bamboo frames. Tomatoes don't need to be tied; wrapping with line can save on labor costs per mu.
3. Regarding pests and diseases: it weakens the pathways of disease transmission through rain and pests. As long as vents are opened and closed in time, some simple protective agents are sufficient, and both pesticide use and spraying labor per mu can be reduced.
4. Fertilizer: open-field cultivation of one season of tomatoes requires 12 to 15 fertilizer applications. Greenhouse cultivation reduces evaporation, air humidity is adequate, and fertilizer use efficiency is high, so about 8 applications per tomato season are enough.
5. A simple greenhouse costs about 10,000 yuan per mu; a medium one with insect netting and shade netting costs about 15,000 to 20,000 yuan.
6. The greenhouse frame has a service life of 10 to 15 years, and the greenhouse film is replaced every 4 years at 2,000 yuan per mu.
Tomato hanging line
Source: Easy Tomato Growing
Author: Guo Heng, Yunnan Jincheng