Moderate Water Stress Impact on Yield Components of Greenhouse Tomatoes in Relation to Plant Water Status
Author:
Alomari-Mheidat Munia1, Corell Mireia12ORCID, Martín-Palomo María José12, Castro-Valdecantos Pedro1ORCID, Medina-Zurita Noemí1, de Sosa Laura L.3ORCID, Moriana Alfonso12ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Departamento de Agronomía, Universidad de Sevilla, ETSIA, Crta de Utrera Km 1, 41013 Seville, Spain 2. Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Uso Sostenible del Suelo y el Agua en la Agricultura (Universidad de Sevilla-IRNAS), Crta de Utrera Km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain 3. Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS-CSIC) Av. Reina Mercedes 10, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
Abstract
The scarcity of water resources affects tomato production. Deficit irrigation may optimize water management with only a low reduction in yield. Deficit irrigation scheduling based on applied water presented no clear conclusions. Water stress management based on plant water status, such as water potential, could improve the scheduling. The aim of this work was to evaluate the physiological and yield responses of different tomato cultivars to deficit irrigation. Three experiments were carried out in 2020 and 2022 at the University of Seville (Spain). “Cherry” and “chocolate Marmande” cultivars with an indeterminate growth pattern were grown in a greenhouse. Treatments were: Control (full irrigated) and Deficit. Deficit plants were irrigated based on water potential measurements. Moderate water stress did not significantly reduce the yield, although it affected other processes. Fruit size and total soluble solids were the most sensitive parameters to water stress. The latter increased only when persistent water stress was applied. However, truss development and fruit number were not affected by the level of water stress imposed. Such results suggest that moderate water stress, even in sensitive phenological stages such as flowering, would not reduce yield. Deficit irrigation scheduling based on plant water status will allow accurate management of water stress.
Funder
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo
Subject
Plant Science,Ecology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
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