Q.Write the economic importance of Lycopersicon esculentum.

Step 1. Identify the plant. Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato, family Solanaceae) is one of the most widely cultivated vegetable-fruit crops in India and Tamil Nadu, grown both as a garden crop and on a large commercial scale.

Step 2. Food and nutritional value. The ripe fruit is eaten raw in salads and used extensively as a cooking ingredient in curries, gravies and chutneys. It is a rich source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, minerals such as potassium, and dietary fibre, making it nutritionally valuable in the daily diet.

Step 3. Source of lycopene (antioxidant/medicinal value). The characteristic red colour of ripe tomato is due to the carotenoid pigment lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that scavenges free radicals in the body; regular consumption is associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease.

Step 4. Industrial/processed-food uses. Tomato is the principal raw material for a large processed-food industry — tomato ketchup, sauce, puree, paste, soup and juice are all commercially manufactured from it, and it is also preserved by canning, giving it major commercial and export value.

Step 5. Minor/other uses. Tomato pulp is also used in home cosmetic face packs for skin care, and the mild organic acids (citric and oxalic acid) present in the fruit are traditionally used to clean discoloured copper and brass vessels and to remove certain stains. …

Recall the plant's family/identity and systematically list its economic uses under standard categories — food/nutritional value, medicinal/antioxidant value, ind …

• Describing only the food/culinary use and omitting the industrial uses (ketchup, sauce, canning) that the question expects
• Confusing tomato's economic importance with that of another Solanaceae crop such as potato or brinjal …