All tomatoes grown in North Carolina are grown for fresh market and the majority of the industry utilizes the plasticulture system with raised beds covered with plastic, drip irrigation, fumigation of soils and the string-weave culture system. The highest concentration of production is in Western North Carolina (WNC) and production is important, but sporadic in Eastern North Carolina (ENC) and the Piedmont. Estimated total production is 2200 acres with average yields of 25 tons per acre for a total farm gate income of 31 to 33 million dollars. This represents 1.6 percent of U.S. fresh-market tomatoes ranking NC 10th in production.

Major diseases include the foliar and fruit pathogens and the root or crown pathogens. Foliar and fruit diseases include early blight, late blight (primarily WNC), Septoria leaf spot, bacterial canker, bacterial speck (primarily WNC), bacterial spot, and Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. Major root and crown rot diseases include Verticillium (race 1 and 2; primarily WNC); Fusarium wilt (race 1, 2, and 3; primarily WNC), bacterial wilt (primarily ENC), southern stem blight (ENC), root-knot nematode and pith necrosis.

The majority of the industry uses conventional practices, but there is a growing organic market. Organic systems tend to rely on heirloom or otherwise less common varieties that typically do not have effective resistance against the common pathogens and rely on intense land management and cultural management practices for production.

Some additional web sites:

• Commercial Production of Staked Tomatoes in the Southeast
• Fresh Market Tomato Production in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain
• NC Tomatoes Growers Association
• 2018 Tomato Fungicide Spray Guide for North Carolina

Disease factsheets

Early blight on tomato   NCSU Factsheet

Tomato late blight     NCSU Factsheet

Septoria leaf spot of tomato  NCSU Factsheet

Sclerotinia stem rot     NCSU Factsheet

Southern blight   NCSU Factsheet

Virus diseases of greenhouse tomatoes     NCSU Factsheet

Bacterial spot of tomato     NCSU Factsheet

Blossom-end rot of tomato     NCSU Factsheet

Tomato bacterial wilt     NCSU Factsheet

Damping-off of seedlings  NCSU Factsheet

Gray mold of tomato  NCSU Factsheet