The crop is grown in 46,000 hectares of land in Karnataka where  productivity is high. The State tops in terms of average yield, Dr Prabhakar said.

He was speaking at a district-level seminar on tomato cultivation in Chhatrakodi in the taluk on Saturday.

Vanguard

Kolar is the vanguard of tomato growing areas in the Karnatka. There are farmers who grow 40 to 50 tonnes of tomato per acre in the district, he said.

However, such farmers number few and all the growers should strive to achieve maximum yield, Dr Prabhakar suggested.

Revealing that there is no remedy for the the bacterial disease that afflicts tomato, Dr Prabhakar said the only way to check the menace is to develop disease-resistant variety.
Further, the farmers too should rotate the crop  frequently.

Subject experts delivered talks on wide ranging topics relating to tomato cultivation on the occasion.

Dr Nachegowda spoke on role of tomato in the economy of the district; Dr Amarananjundeshwara delivered a talk on managing tomato nursery; Dr Ramachandra on tomato varieties; Dr R D Rawal on management of diseases afflicting tomato; Dr Anjaneya Reddy on management of viral attacks on tomato; Dr K V Prakash on pest management; Dr Nagaraj on marketing avenues and problems and Dr Vasudev spoke on post-harvest technology.

The programme was jointly organised by Mumbai-based Indofil Chemicals Company and Horticulture University. General Manager the Company, R C Bishnoi inaugurated the seminar.

Dr Grecy of Agriculture Marketing and Cooperation Department, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore and others were present on the occasion.