The interactive responses of fertigation levels under buried straw layer on growth, physiological traits and fruit yield in tomato plant

Abstract

The experiments were conducted on tomato plants to study the interactive responses of water levels (W70%: 70% of water consumption and W90%: 90% water consumption) and nitrogen rates (N100%: 100% of recommended and N80%:80% of N1.0) under two straw mulching conditions (NS; no straw introduced and WS: with buried straw layer) on growth and physiological parameters for two fruit growing years to assess the interactive responses of fertigation under buried straw layer on the changes in plant fresh and dry biomass, roots biomass, photosynthesis rate (PN), stomatal conductance (GS) and chlorophyll fluorescence of tomato plants. Buried straw layer was proved to improve plant biomass, photosynthesis rate and other physiological traits such as chlorophyll contents (Chl), maximum electron transport rate (ETRmax), maximum quantum yield (FV/FM) and GS under the lower fertilizer (N80%) and irrigation levels (W70%). However, increasing fertilizer and irrigation level decreased these parameters significantly (p < .05 to p < .001) under buried straw layer. Conversely, increased fertilizer (N100%) and irrigation (W90%) levels increased these parameters significantly (p < .05 to p < .001) under no straw condition. The overall findings revealed that buried straw layer could relieve stress developed by limited irrigation water and fertilizer and benefit plant growth, physiological parameters and fruit yield of tomato plant.

Keywords

• buried straw layer
• photosynthesis
• light curve
• electron transport rate and quantum yield