Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide on Growth and Physiological Characteristics of Two Tomato Cultivars in Hydroponic Culture

Hydrogen peroxide plays an important role in the response of plants to environmental signals. This experiment aimed to find the effect of hydrogen peroxide at four levels (0, 20, 40, and 80 μL L-1) on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of two tomato cultivars including "Newton" and "Cherry Santella” grown in the hydroponics. The experiment was conducted as a factorial based on randomized complete block design with eight treatments and three replications. The results showed that the application of hydrogen peroxide significantly increased the vegetative characteristics and qualitative characteristics of tomato such as number of leaves, dry weight of leaves, fresh and dry weights of root, root volume, firmness and fruit juice pH. Maximum fresh weight of fruits was achieved at 80 μL L-1 concentration with a 58% higher than that of the control. Furthermore, hydrogen peroxide increased fruit shelf life by 35% in "Cherry Santella" cultivar compared to control. The highest number of leaves, fresh and dry weights and root volume were observed at 80 μL L-1.  Fruit firmness and shelf life were increased at 40 μL L-1 concentration. These findings suggest that the concentrations of 40 μL L-1 can be used for tomato production in hydroponics.