Effect of Irrigation Water Salinity on Physiological Parameters and Yield of Tomato Plants Across Phenological Stages

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different irrigation water salinities on the stomatal conductance (gs) and chlorophyll content index (CCI) of tomato plants during different phenological stages, at both pre- and post-irrigation. For this purpose, gs, CCI, and Leaf Area Index (LAI) data were collected from tomato plants grown under four different irrigation water salinity levels. The gs and CCI data were classified according to the four different tomato phenological stages (vegetative, flowering, early fruit growth, and harvest). Differences in mean gs and CCI data across different irrigation water salinity levels at various phenological stages were determined using a two-way ANOVA. Differences between phenological stages within each irrigation salinity level and yield parameter were assessed using one-way ANOVA. The results indicated that irrigation water salinity levels of up to 7.5 dS m-1 did not affect the CCI at both pre- and post-irrigation (p >0.05). However, significant effects were observed depending on the phenological period (p <0.01) There was a significant decrease in both yield and CCI during the harvest period at each salinity level. The research findings are believed to contribute to optimizing drip irrigation practices using low-quality water in tomato cultivation.