Plant Growth of Processing Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Subjected to Water Deficit Regulated with Mulched Drip Irrigation

An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of water deficit regulated with mulched drip irrigation on plant growth of processing tomato in an arid environment. The results indicated that Water deficit had little effect on plant height of processing tomato at full fruiting and late fruiting except that at seedling and flowering. Still, no effect of water deficit regulation on stem diameter was found at all measured growth stages. However, leaf area index and dry matter was significantly (p<0.05) reduced at all growth stages of tomato subjected to high water deficit at seedling. Therefore, low level of water deficit at seedling while free of deficit from flowering to late fruiting as well as proper levels of water deficit at flowering or full fruiting or late fruiting while free of deficit at seedling could be used to effectively regulate leaf growth and dry matter accumulation of processing tomato in arid areas.