Abstract

Plant inoculation with formulations of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) can be a sustainable technique for the improvement of tomato yield and plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Combination of artificial plant mycorrhization with water deficit irrigation could be an effective agronomical technique for the optimization of water use efficiency of tomato in the areas with a limited water availability. A 2-year research on field tomato was undertaken in Southern Italy (40°24'N; 16°48'E; 10. m a.s.l.) to evaluate the effects on crop growth, yield, and fruit quality of the combination of seedling inoculation with two VAM formulations, alone or integrated with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), with different irrigation regimes (restoration of 0%, 50%, and 100% of maximum crop evapotranspiration). A split-plot experimental design with three reps was followed, with irrigation regimes in the main plots and mycorrhizal treatments in the subplots. Both VAM treatments, either with or without PGPR, demonstrated to be highly and rapidly effective on plant growth, as significantly increasing growth of tomato seedlings and plant biomass at mid and end of both crops compared to the non-inoculated control. Positive effects of mycorrhizal inoculation were extended also to marketable yield, mainly as a result of an increased number and weight of fruits. Both VAM inocula did not significantly affect fruit quality parameters, though increased water use efficiency of marketable yield. Both irrigation regimes positively affected tomato growth and marketable yield, whereas the fruit quality was better in less- and non-watered plants. Adversely to expectations, no synergism was found between artificial mycorrhization and irrigation regimes.

Autore Pugliese

• D'addabbo Trifone

Tutti gli autori

• Candido V.; Campanelli G.; D'Addabbo T.; Castronuovo D.; Perniola M.; Camele I.

Titolo volume/Rivista

Scientia horticulturae

Anno di pubblicazione

2015

ISSN

0304-4238

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

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Numero di citazioni Scopus

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Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

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Settori ERC

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Codici ASJC

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