ABSTRACT
The tomato is one of the most important “protective foods” which has special nutritive values. Tomato (scientific name: Lycopersicon esculentum) belongs to the genus Lycopersicon under Solanaceae family. Tomato is an herbaceous sprawling plant which grows up to 3 m in height with a weak woody stem. Tomato is a native plant to Peruvian and Mexican regions. Tomato is the world’s largest vegetable crop after potato and sweet potato, but it tops the list of canned vegetables. In 2014, world production of tomatoes was 170.8 million tonnes, with China accounting for 31% of the total, followed by India, the United States and Turkey as the major producers. There are around 7,500 tomato varieties grown for various purposes. Tomato diseases are rarely fatal if the proper management is employed. It is important to diagnose any tomato disease early, before it spreads to the entire tomato plant. Also, there is a possibility that other plants in the same family, such as potatoes, eggplants, and peppers may be affected if planted near an infected tomato. Here in this chapter, some common tomato diseases are discussed (Figure 2.1). Tomato. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-u.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780429504907/f2169f40-da20-487f-8a23-c310be3e556b/content/fig2_1_C.jpg"/>
