Processing Tomato Production in the Midwest

Processing tomatoes are one of the major specialty crops grown in the lower Midwest, with 13,677 acres reported in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Tomatoes are typically part of a rotation with field corn, soybeans, and/or seed corn. The crop is produced under contract to processing companies. The crop is started as transplants, which are typically produced in a specialized transplanted production facility. Transplanting to the field occurs from late April through mid-June. Once-over machine harvest begins in August and continues into October. Nutrient management guidelines base amounts of phosphorus and potassium to apply on soil test values and expected crop removal: 0.8 lb. P2O5 and 7 lb. K2O per ton of tomatoes harvested. In some situations additional potassium may be needed to avoid fruit color disorders. Nitrogen applications are split with some applied before transplanting (around 40-60 lb./A) and the remainder in one or more sidedressings. Field trials suggest that a total of 100 lb. N/A is sufficient on sandy loam soils following soybeans. Adequate soil moisture is important for transplant establishment, fruit set, and fruit development; overhead irrigation is common, but not all fields are irrigated. Weed, insect, and disease management are critical for good yield and quality. Pest management recommendations from universities are available in the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide (mwveguide.org). The production contract typically recommends or specifies management practices that should be followed. Insect and mite pests of concern include black cutworm, variegated cutworm, flea beetle, Colorado potato beetle, stink bug, two-spotted spider mite, tomato fruitworm, and yellow striped armyworm. Diseases are perhaps the most difficult of the three pest types to manage. A minimum three-year rotation away from tomatoes and other solanaceous crops (peppers, eggplant, potatoes) is recommended. Important diseases include early blight, Septoria leaf spot, Phytophthora blight, late blight, anthracnose, bacterial speck, bacterial spot, and bacterial canker. In addition to losses from pests, yield or quality is sometimes reduced by physiological disorders, such as blossom end rot, or injury from herbicide drift or volatiles.