Tomatoes
In 2011 Empire State farmers planted 3,000 acres of tomatoes for an estimated value of nearly $37 million (2011 Vegetable Summary). Most field production is devoted to determinate cultivars, with plastic mulch, drip irrigation and stake-and-weave trellis essential production elements for early and quality yields. Greenhouse (and high tunnel) production is on the rise in New York with structures of less than 1/10th to in-excess of 40 acres under protection. Indeterminate, greenhouse lines, as well as heirloom varieties are grown under protected culture. Tomatoes are a popular crop with New York fresh market vegetable farmers due to high demand and fair prices. The Cornell Vegetable Program conducts a number of research projects each year addressing improved tomato production. Check out the links below to learn more.Relevant Events
2025 Berry Twilight Meetings
July 2, 2025 : Berry Twilight Meeting at Dressel Farms
New Paltz, NY
July 16, 2025 : Berry Twilight Meeting at Samascott Orchards
Kinderhook, NY
August 6, 2025 : Berry Twilight Meeting at Fishkill Farms
Hopewell Junction, NY
Mid Hudson Valley Hard Cider Tour
August 7, 2025
Hopewell Junction, NY
Eastern New York Late Summer Orchard Meeting
August 13, 2025 : Eastern New York Late Summer Orchard Meeting
Ballston Spa, NY
Biopesticides in Tomatoes
Teresa Rusinek, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Managing Tomato Bacterial Diseases? Biopesticides Could Help.
Amara Dunn, NYS Integrated Pest Management Program
Chris Smart, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University
Are you using copper to protect your tomatoes from bacterial diseases? Research from Cornell suggests that you could replace some of those copper applications with a biopesticide.
Reminder on Calculating Fertigation Rates for Plastic Mulches
Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Know Late Blight Symptoms AND its Look-Alikes
Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Tips for Vegetable Transplants
Teresa Rusinek, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Attention to detail during transplant production will reward you with quality transplants and optimal results in the field.
Pathogens -There are numerous diseases that can impact your crop, and a good number of these can be seedborne. A first line of defense is to ensure you are planting clean seed. Buy disease indexed seeds when available. To reduce bacterial seedborne diseases in crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and brassicas, seeds can be hot water treated. Chlorine treatment can also be useful on some seeds as a surface treatment but will not kill pathogens inside the seed.
2020 Beefsteak Tomato Variety Trial Results
Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Stink Bugs in Vegetable Crops
Teresa Rusinek, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Transcript of Teresa Rusinek's podcast entry for 7.29.20: "Stink Bugs in Vegetable Crops". Photos included.
Creating New York adapted Tomatoes with Resistance to Multiple Diseases
Teresa Rusinek, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Creating New York-adapted Tomatoes with Resistance to Multiple Fungal and Bacterial Diseases
Martha A. Mutschler, Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, SIPS, Cornell University
Margaret T. McGrath, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, SIPS, Cornell University
Recording of High Tunnel Veg Research Webinar 11/29/18
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
This is a recording of an hour long webinar held by Amy Ivy of the Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program, Judson Reid of the Cornell Vegetable Program and Mike Davis of the Cornell University Willsboro Research Farm on Nov 29, 2018.
A copy of the PowerPoint is included in the 'read details' section below. With funding from the Northern NY Agricultural Development Program.
High Tunnel Crop Study - cherry tomatoes, peppers and winter spinach fertility
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Here is the final report on our 2017 research in high tunnel production of cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers and a winter spinach fertility study at the Cornell Willsboro Research Farm with funding from NNYADP (Northern NY Ag Development Program).
Advancing Vegetable Production in NNY 2017
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Fresh market vegetable production is on the rise throughout Northern NY. In past years Northern New York Agricultural Development Program-funded vegetable research has addressed various topics and issues related to growing vegetables at a profit, but new information, better methods, and new varieties continue to be developed and are of interest to regional growers.
In 2017, the project team focused on three areas of high tunnel vegetable production:
1) Increasing production and profitability of colored peppers in high tunnels
2) Extending last year's cherry tomato training and pruning trial, tracking labor and yield.
3) Assessing nitrogen availability in cold soils for late fall-winter spinach and its effect on
yield.
Insecticides Labeled for Colorado Potato Beetle
Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Responding to Hailstorms 2018
Crystal Stewart-Courtens, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
The fierce storm that hit much of the Eastern New York region south of Albany on Wednesday, May 15, 2018 caused tremendous wind, water, and hail damage. For growers wondering how to respond to hail damage to young plants, read more about how to best protect your crops.
Start managing for bacterial diseases in field tomatoes at transplanting
Crystal Stewart-Courtens, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
If you have struggled with bacterial diseases in the past few years, start managing for success now! Growers are better able to control bacterial diseases with a combination of sanitation, environmental management, and regular sprays that starts now and continues through harvest. Read on to learn about alternative sprays to copper, and how to eliminate disease lingering in your stakes from last year.
Weed Control and Plastic Mulches
Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
As the weather warms up and plastic mulches are being laid, the next question is, what to do about weed control in the beds and between the beds?
Can it be True?
Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
A product called LandSpring was labeled in NY back in July of 2017 and may help reduce transplant shock of certain crops. Learn more about what it is and how it works.
High Tunnel Tomatoes - Early Pruning Pays off
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
A little time spent pruning and training young high tunnel tomatoes now will pay off later this season; not only in greater yields but in labor efficiency during harvest.
Be on the Lookout for Southern Blight
Ethan Grundberg, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Southern Blight (Sclerotium rolfsii) was found on golden storage beets this winter in Dutchess County. The fungal pathogen is fairly new to New York and poses a threat to a wide range of vegetable crops. Early detection and proper diagnosis are key to managing this disease.
Blossom Blast and Bumblebees
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
This week a few growers reported serious damage and loss of first flowers in their early, heated high tunnel tomatoes. We suspect the hives came with too many bees for the number of flowers and over-pollination by the hungry bees is causing the blossoms to drop without setting fruit. Is anyone else seeing this kind of damage?
Cherry Tomatoes Pruning & Training
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
This fact sheet provides information on how to prune and train cherry tomatoes in high tunnels.
Cherry Tomatoes and Sweet Red Peppers in High Tunnels
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Last summer we ran some trials at the Cornell Willsboro Research Farm's high tunnel looking at a couple of popular summer crops: cherry tomatoes and sweet red bell peppers.
2018 Eastern New York Fruit & Vegetable Conference Vegetable Presentations
Presentations from the 2018 ENYCHP Eastern New York Fruit & Vegetable Conference held February 20th and 21st for the vegetable sections.
Leaf Mold in High Tunnel Tomatoes 2015
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Leaf mold is a fungus disease of tomatoes that has been increasing across New York State in recent years. It is favored by high humidity and is therefore seen in greenhouse and high tunnel production but rarely in field production.
Spacing Tomatoes in High Tunnels
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Proper spacing is a common concern of high tunnel growers. More plants does not necessarily mean more yield. Determinate varieties are spaced and trained differently than indeterminates, and grafted plants need more room than non-grafted. A well-spaced planting allows room for the grower to move down the aisles for harvesting, training and scouting for pest and disease problems.
Tomatoes for High Tunnels
One of the first choices when beginning high tunnel tomato production is the type: determinate or indeterminate. Differences in the growth habits, nutritional needs, disease resistance, and fruit attributes of determinate and indeterminate tomatoes will influence the types and varieties a grower will choose.
Training and Pruning Tomatoes in High Tunnels
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Well trained and well pruned tomatoes are easy to work around, have better air circulation, optimum light penetration, and have higher yields since excess foliage is removed to focus plant energy on producing and ripening fruit.
Early Season Tomato Leaf Symptoms
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
It’s always a good idea to pay close attention to all your crops in an effort to catch problems early on. Here are a few tomato leaf symptoms that may catch your eye in early summer.
Pruning Tomatoes
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Pruning off the lower leaves of tomatoes will increase air circulation and discourage foliar diseases. Note the arrows in the photo to see which leaves and suckers to remove.
2013 ENYCHP Fresh Market BeefsteakTomato Variety Trial
Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
In 2013 the Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program evaluated 26 different beefsteak tomato varieties for yield, fruit characteristics and eating quality. Please click "Read Details" for the full report and pictures of all the varieties.
Responding to Hailstorms
Crystal Stewart-Courtens, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
While no one wants to think about the possibility of hail hitting their beautiful crops just as they start to respond to the heat and take off, the likelihood that we will see more hail seems pretty high. So let's talk about it.
Phytophthora Webinar 3: Management practices to reduce P-Cap on the farm
This recorded webinar features Dr. Meg McGrath for a discussion of fungicides for P-Cap, crop rotation strategies, and the use of biofumigants to control P-Cap in infected fields.
Grafting of Tomatoes for Soil-based Production in Greenhouses & High Tunnels
Judson Reid, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
In 2012, the Cornell Vegetable Program conducted trials of grafted cucumbers and tomatoes. We grafted 2 tomato scions (Panzer and Big Dena) onto 3 different rootstocks (Arnold, Colossus and Maxifort). We also grew out ungrafted control plots for comparison. Tomatoes were grafted using the 'tube-graft' method. Detailed information on our materials and methods can be found in the full report.
2012 Capital District Beefsteak Tomato Variety Trial
Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
In 2012 the CCE Capital District Vegetable and Small Fruit Program evaluated 16 different fresh market beefsteak tomato varieties for yield, overall fruit quality and other characteristics. Of these varieties, Primo Red, Red Deuce, Red Bounty, Volante, RFT 6153, Mt. Merit, Mt. Fresh and Scarlet Red showed promising yields and fruit quality. To view the entire report, please open the pdf files below.
Webinar: Farming with P-Cap: Managing Your Crops and Minimizing Spread
Laura McDermott, Team Leader, Small Fruit and Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
In this pre-recorded webinar, Dr. Michael Mazourek, plant breeder at Cornell University, and Dr. Chris Smart, plant pathologist at Cornell University Geneva Experiment Station lead a discussion about how to minimize the impact of Phytophthora capsici on your farm.
Spotted Wing Drosophila in Tomatoes
Judson Reid, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
Although this new pest in gaining attention from berry growers, it is also a threat to tomatoes. Spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) lays eggs in ripe or maturing fruit with a rear-end that favors a miniature hack-saw. The eggs, which have creepy breathing tubes, hatch out into nasty worms that feed inside the fruit creating a liquefied mass. Reports on tomatoes mention organic, heirloom and high tunnel crops. A common theme to these observations is that insecticides are generally absent. SWD has been reported in 2012 throughout the state, so far in traps and fruit plantings (see map courtesy of Hudson Valley Fruit Program). Likely there are unreported cases of infested tomatoes.
O-zone Injury on Vegetables
Crystal Stewart-Courtens, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Hot, humid weather with stagnant air masses may lead to ozone damage on crops. Ozone warnings were recently issued for much of New York. These warnings are intended for people with respiratory problems and let them know they should limit their outdoor activity and try to stay as much as possible in air-conditioned locations. These warning are also a good indicator that ozone damage may occur in plants.
Why Aren't My Tomatoes Ripening?
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With all of the hot weather we have experienced this summer, growers were expecting their tomatoes to ripen very quickly. Unfortunately, just the opposite is happening. Ripening seems very slow, almost like what we see in the autumn when temperatures are much cooler.
High Tunnel Tomato Trial 2011 (determinate varieties)
Judson Reid, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
High tunnel tomatoes continue to grow in popularity with New York vegetable growers for disease control, earliness and fruit quality. Variety selection is one of the most important management decisions for tunnels. The decision between determinate and indeterminate varieties depends on grower preference and market demand. Total yield must be balanced with fruit quality and disease resistance
Nightshade Management Reduces Crop Loss
Julie Kikkert, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
Depending on the crop, nightshade can reduce crop yields, harbor diseases, and cause crops to be rejected by processors. Learn about the species of nightshades in NY, physiological differences between them, emergence and growth information, and control strategies.
High Tunnel Hanging Baskets, 2010
Judson Reid, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
Although Cornell Vegetable Program research from 2009 showed a net positive impact of hanging baskets of petunias on tunnel economic performance, tomato yields were decreased. In 2010 the project team repeated research in an unheated high tunnel, representing a dramatic decrease in fuel inputs compared to a heated greenhouse for hanging baskets. A lower density treatment was used, compared to 2009, and light intensity data was collected. Risks of shading an in-ground tomato crop and spread of insects and diseases between the flowers and vegetables were investigated.
Grafting of Tomatoes for Soil-based Production in Protected Culture
Judson Reid, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
Soil based greenhouse and high tunnel production of tomatoes has risen dramatically in the Finger Lakes Region within the last 5 years. This season extension technology offers farmers an opportunity to target market price peaks and capitalize on the rising demand for locally grown produce. Tomatoes from these protected culture systems have proven profitable in wholesale auction settings as well as farmer's markets and CSAs.
As production continues in the same soil beds, risk of root-zone diseases and soil nutrient deficiencies increase. Grafting of desirable fruiting varieties onto vigorous, disease resistant rootstock has become a standard production technique in hydroponic facilities throughout the world. This project seeks to evaluate the potential of grafting for small scale farmers in New York and demonstrate its advantages.
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Upcoming Events
Worker Protection Standards Mock Inspection with the DEC
August 4, 2025 : Worker Protection Standards Mock Inspection with the DEC
Highland, NY
Join ENCHP and DEC staff for a WPS mock inspection. Attendees will split into groups and rotate between multiple stations. 2 core DEC Credits are available for this meeting. This event is free and there is no registration necessary.
2025 Berry Twilight Meetings
July 2, 2025 : Berry Twilight Meeting at Dressel Farms
New Paltz, NY
Join Heather Kase, CCE ENYCHP, and Anna Wallis, Cornell IPM, for seasonal updates on berry pest man-agement and IPM.
July 16, 2025 : Berry Twilight Meeting at Samascott Orchards
Kinderhook, NY
Join Heather Kase, CCE ENYCHP, and Anna Wallis, Cornell IPM, for seasonal updates on berry pest man-agement and IPM.
August 6, 2025 : Berry Twilight Meeting at Fishkill Farms
Hopewell Junction, NY
Join Heather Kase, CCE ENYCHP, and Anna Wallis, Cornell IPM, for seasonal updates on berry pest man-agement and IPM.
Mid Hudson Valley Hard Cider Tour
August 7, 2025
Hopewell Junction, NY
Join the Cornell Hard Cider PWT and visit multiple stops throughout the Mid Hudson Valley Region.