Nyota F1 tomato variety is among several tomato varieties produced by Simlaw seeds.
Nyota F1 tomato variety
This hybrid tomato variety is determinate with a good foliage cover making it suitable for the open filed.
It produces firm oval-shaped tomato fruits that ripen a uniform deep red.
Nursery management of Nyota F1 tomatoes
We recommend that you sow the seeds 0.5 to 1 cm deep with a spacing of 15 cm between the rows.
This variety has an excellent nursery growth rate – germination will begin within 4 days of sowing the seeds and after 6 days, all the seeds will have sprouted.
Within 21 days, the seedlings will be around 8 to 10 inches tall hence ready for transplanting.
Transplanting Nyota F1 tomatoes
To start with, transplanting is best done in the evening accompanied by sufficient watering.
According to Simlaw’s planting guide, Nyota F1 tomato plants require a spacing of 45×90 cm.
This translates to 50 gms (12,000 seedlings) of the variety per acre.
Trellising/staking Nyota F1
Within 3 to 4 weeks of transplanting, the plant already have several suckers.
With that in mind, it is during this period that you should start your staking.
On average, Nyota F1 seeds grow to a height of 3 feet hence poles of 4 ft in length are sufficient for staking this breed.
Nyota F1 tomato yields/production
On average, Nyota F1 tomato plants will produce around 5 to 6 fruits per cluster.
Upon full maturity, each Nyota F1 fruit has an average weight of between 100 and 120 grams.
With good agronomic practices, you can harvest around 38 tonnes of fruits per acre per season.
As for harvesting, you can rest assured to continue harvesting the fruits for around 10 weeks.
This is better compared to other breeds such as Zara F1 which produce around 25 to 30 tonnes on the same acre.
Shelf life
Unike other hybrid tomatoes, Nyota F1 tomato fruits do not have an excellent shelf life.
This is because, on average, the fruits will stay for at least 14 days before they start going bad.
This is a small period compared to other hybrid tomatoes such as Ansal F1 and Kilele F1 that have shelf lifes of 21 to 28 days.
Remember that the shelf life plays a key part in the marketability of the harvest.
Disease tolerance
When it comes to disease tolerance, unlike Ansal F1 or Zara F1, Nyota F1 is not tolerant to most diseases that plague African farms.
Nevertheless, it is tolerant to the following diseases:
- Bacterial wilt
- Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV)
- Nematodes
Nyota F1 prices
Nyota F1 tomato seeds are fairly priced considering their production capabilities.
The average retail prices for Nyota F1 tomato seeds are as follows:
- 50 seeds retail at Ksh 100
- 5 g – Ksh. 1,340
- 10 g – Ksh. 2,630
- 25 g – Ksh. 6,555
- 50 g – Ksh. 13,110
But, how many seeds are in each?
Well, on average, 10g of Nyota F1 has between 2,500 seeds.
As for a 50g container, it has around 12,000 to 13,000 seeds.
tip: each gram of Nyota F1 seeds has around 250-300 seeds.
Nyota F1 tomato variety – frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How much does Nyota F1 fruit weigh?
With good agronomic practices, the average fruit size of Nyota F1 tomato fruits is around 100 to 120 grams.
These fruits are have oval shapes with a uniform and deep-red color when fully ripe.
Conclusion
The Nyota F1 tomato variety is among the heaviest determinate tomato producers.
However, this comes at a cost – the variety tends to have a small shelf life compared to other breeds.
In turn, this decreases the marketability of the breed.