Study of the morphological characters of tomato plants subjected to water deficit in a hydroponic medium.

摘要

The effects of water stress induced by polyethylene glycol in hydroponically grown tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Nikita) plants were studied. The addition of PEG-6000 to the nutrient solution resulted in osmotic stress over a period of one month so that the test plants could gradually adjust and develop drought resistance. The decrease in the osmotic potential of the nutrient solution was associated with a significant increase in the pressure potential, which suggested an active osmoregulation in this cultivar. The increase in PEG concentration in the nutrient solution significantly affected the stomatal frequency and stomatal area. The stomatal resistance dependent on the leaf water potential resulted in a significant increment in stressed plants versus the control plants, and this increase was more pronounced with the severity of the stress. The shoot/root ratio was significantly affected when water stress was increased..