Effect of drought on seed germination and early seedling of tomato genotypes using polyethylene glycol 6000

Abstract

Tomato is a sensitive crop to a variety of environmental stresses, especially drought. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to screen for drought tolerance at seed and seedling (vegetative) levels for better understanding of drought mechanisms and identification and selection of the most tolerant tomato genotypes. Twenty four (24) tomato genotypes were screened for drought tolerance using 0%, 4% and 14% polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG 6000). The experiment was laid in complete randomized design with three replication and three treatments. The following parameters: germination percentage, shoot length, root length, shoot and root weight and recovery date were recorded in the course of the experiment. There was no significant difference in germination percentage between control and low PEG. However, significant differences were observed between control and low concentration of PEG when compared to high PEG concentration. Water stress created by PEG 6000 at high concentration (14%) significantly reduced all the parameters measured in all the genotypes. Overall, NGB01357, L00170 and NHGB/09/113 performed better under drought conditions and could be very vital in breeding program.