Tomato Diseases A Colour Handbook 2nd ED

The tomato is, after the potato, the most consumed vegetable in the world, either fresh or after processing. It is grown in all latitudes in a variety of conditions (climate, production, Photos 1–5), demonstrating useful variability and demonstrating the effectiveness of the work done by plant breeders. World production of tomatoes has increased steadily during the twentieth century and has grown considerably over the past three decades. It rose from 48 million tonnes in 1978 to 74 million in 1992, 89 million in 1998, and reached 124 million in 2006. Among the 16 countries that produced 1 million tonnes or more, six are well above 5 million tonnes (Table 2). An estimated 30% of tomatoes produced are processed, but this percentage varies from one country to another.