Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
Warm-season fruiting vegetable in the nightshade family, grown as an annual in temperate regions (Zones 3-11) with transplants set out after the last spring frost. Two distinct production tracks: fresh-market (predominantly hand-harvested, sold open-market) and processing (mechanically harvested under contract for paste, sauce, and canning). Yields and labor needs differ markedly between the two; growers should choose a track before selecting variety, trellis system, and equipment.
Crop Snowflake Score
Overview
Determinate cultivars are typical for processing and short-trellis fresh-market plantings; indeterminate cultivars are common in staked/trellised fresh-market and high-tunnel systems. Processing tomatoes in the United States average roughly 50 tons/acre under contract on irrigated ground; fresh-market yields vary widely with system but commonly 25-35 tons/acre. Crop is sensitive to early-season cold (chilling below 50F slows growth) and to late-season disease pressure (early blight, late blight, septoria). Drip irrigation plus plastic mulch is the dominant fresh-market system; processing fields are typically furrow- or drip-irrigated with mechanical harvest. Crop rotation away from solanaceous crops (pepper, eggplant, potato) is recommended to suppress soilborne disease.
Growing Season
- Plant
- late spring – early summer
- Harvest
- mid-summer – first fall frost
- Frost-free days
- 90+
- GDD (base 50°F)
- 1,300 – 2,000
Yield
- Typical yield
- 50 tons/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 1 years
- Labor
- 350 hrs/acre
Market Fit
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Market Channels
Climate Fit
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Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Scoring data for this axis is being loaded.
Equipment Requirements
spraying
Mounted or pull-behind. Required for fungicide schedule on field tomatoes. Backpack sprayers acceptable below 0.5 acre.
planting
General-purpose tractor for bed prep, spraying, and harvest hauling on small to mid-size operations.
Carousel or finger-style water-wheel transplanter. Cuts transplant labor by 70%+ versus hand-planting once acreage exceeds ~1 acre.
cultivation
Lays drip tape and plastic mulch in one pass. Black plastic warms soil for early planting; white plastic for hot-zone summer crops.
Per-acre cost. Hardwood stakes (5-6 ft) every 2-3 plants, plus tomato twine for stake-and-weave. PTO-driven stake pounder optional but speeds setup on larger acreages.
irrigation
Per-acre cost. Includes header lines, manifolds, drip tape, and filtration. Critical for blossom-end-rot prevention via consistent moisture.
Allows weekly liquid fertilizer applications through drip lines. Standard for commercial fresh-market tomato production.
harvesting
Plastic stackable lugs (25-lb capacity). Reusable; budget assumes 100 lugs sufficient for ~1 acre fresh-market harvest crew.
Only relevant for processing tomatoes (paste/sauce). Self-propelled harvester with on-board sorting; not used for fresh-market.
post_harvest
Tomato storage temperature (55-60°F) — colder causes chilling injury. Essential for holding for direct-market or short-term wholesale.
Storage Requirements
Fresh cold storage (vine-ripe)
Temperature
50–55°F
Humidity
90–95%
Max Storage
10 days
Fresh cold storage (under-ripe / after-ripening)
Temperature
55–65°F
Humidity
85–95%
Max Storage
21 days
Frozen (processing, cooked)
Temperature
-10–0°F
Max Storage
365 days
Finance Fit
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Risk Fit
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Known Risks
disease
Phytophthora infestans is the most destructive tomato disease in cool, humid conditions. Causes rapidly expanding water-soaked lesions on leaves and fruit; can defoliate a crop and rot fruit in days during favorable weather.
Alternaria solani / A. tomatophila causes target-spot lesions on lower leaves that progress upward. Severe defoliation reduces yield and exposes fruit to sunscald. Very common across most growing regions.
Septoria lycopersici produces small circular leaf spots with dark margins and gray centers. Typically begins on lower foliage during prolonged leaf wetness. Yield loss is from premature defoliation rather than direct fruit damage.
Vectored by thrips. Causes bronze or necrotic ringspots on leaves and concentric rings on fruit; infected plants are stunted and unmarketable. Can move quickly through a planting once thrip pressure builds.
pest
Manduca quinquemaculata larvae are large (up to 4 inches) and consume foliage and fruit rapidly. A few caterpillars can defoliate a plant in days. Generally one to two generations per growing season in temperate zones.
Several species feed on tomatoes; primary economic concern is virus transmission (CMV, TSWV co-vectoring) rather than direct feeding. Honeydew can also lead to sooty mold on fruit.
Halyomorpha halys (BMSB) and native species pierce fruit and feed, causing white-corky areas under the skin ("cloudy spot" or "cat facing") that downgrades marketable fruit. Late-season pressure can be severe near woodland edges.
weather
Sustained daytime temperatures above 90°F (32°C) and nighttime above 70°F (21°C) cause flower abortion and poor fruit set. Pollen viability declines sharply. Result: a midsummer "yield gap" with little fruit ripening 4-6 weeks later.
Tomato fruit and foliage are highly susceptible to hail. Even small hail produces wounds that lead to fruit rot or downgrade. A single severe storm can destroy weeks of expected harvest.
market
Wholesale tomato prices typically collapse during midsummer regional peaks as supply outstrips demand. Direct-market growers may also see saturation at peak. Profitability depends heavily on hitting early or late market windows.
Nutritional Yield
Nutrition data pending.
Research agents will profile Tomato against USDA FoodData Central on the next maintenance pass. Per-acre nutritional yield will appear here once the per-100g panel is recorded.
Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem service data pending.
The next research-agent rotation will document this crop's contributions to pollinator support, soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
Nearby Buyers
Data Sources
Every data point on this page is traceable to its source. Below you'll find the complete provenance trail — which sources were used, when data was last verified, and a full change history.
Primary sources: Data sourced from USDA Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) Tomatoes profile; cross-checked against UC Davis Postharvest Center vegetable handling references and Penn State / Cornell vegetable production guides for agronomic and labor estimates. AgMRC URL: https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/vegetables/tomatoes
14 tracked changes across 5 data categories