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  • Author or Editor: Yueling Zhao x
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Greenhouse experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 to investigate quantitative relationships between tomato yield parameters and deficit irrigation at different growth stages. Tomato plants received one of three irrigation treatments (full irrigation, 2/3, and 1/3 full irrigation) at flowering and fruit development (stage 2) and at fruit maturation (stage 3); no deficit irrigation treatments were applied at stage 1 during either season. We used linear regression to investigate how well the yield parameters such as whole-plant yield (Y), single-fruit weight (y), fruit diameter (D), and length (L) were correlated with seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) under different deficit irrigation treatments. Six water–yield models (Blank, Jensen, Singh, Stewart, Minhas, and Rao models) were used to predict the tomato yield parameters with deficit irrigation at different growth stages. The results showed that deficit irrigation at each growth stage significantly decreased ET, Y, y, L, and D, but not T1 (2/3 full irrigation at flowering and fruit development). T1 produced higher water use efficiency (WUE) with no significant decrease in yield parameters, indicating that an acceptable balance between high WUE and yield can be obtained with an appropriate water deficit at stage 2. Relative Y, y, D, and L increased linearly as relative seasonal ET increased. Water deficit sensitivity indexes calculated by the six different water–yield models showed that Y, y, D, and L were more sensitive to water deficit at stage 2 than at stage 3. The values of Y calculated by the Minhas and Singh models were similar to the observed values. The Minhas model provided good estimates of L and D, and the Blank model is recommended for calculating y when there is a water deficit at different growth stages. The water–yield models can be used to optimize irrigation water management and provide a sound basis for efficient tomato production.

Open Access

To investigate the quantitative response of tomato yield and fruit quality to deficit irrigation applied at different growth stages, greenhouse experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018. Three irrigation treatments (full irrigation and two-thirds or one-third of full irrigation) were applied to greenhouse-grown tomato plants at flowering and fruit development (stage 2) and at fruit maturation stage (stage 3). Grey relational analysis (GRA), the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS), and principal components analysis (PCA) were used to calculate the comprehensive fruit quality indexes, and combinatorial evaluation method was determined. The results showed that deficit irrigation significantly reduced evapotranspiration (ET) and tomato yield and that relative yield had a negative linear correlation with relative seasonal water deficit (1−ETi/ETc). However, deficit irrigation improved fruit quality, especially at stage 2. Total soluble solids, the total soluble sugar concentration, the sugar-to-acid ratio, and vitamin C in the tomatoes all increased significantly in plants that were deficit irrigated compared with fully irrigated plants, while organic acids and lycopene decreased in both years. There were linear correlations between fruit quality parameters and 1−ETi/ETc. The comprehensive quality index derived from GRA and PCA is reliable, and the comprehensive quality indexes given by GRA, PCA, and a combination of GRA and PCA showed positive linear correlation with 1−ETi/ETc. The comprehensive quality ranking showed that in both years, F2/3M1 (two-thirds full irrigation at stage 2) gave a better result and CK (full irrigation) the worst. An appropriate water deficit at the flowering and fruit development stage, which results in a trade-off between acceptable yield and improved fruit quality, is recommended. Our results provide a sound basis for tomato production that has a desirable balance between high yield and high fruit quality.

Open Access