Effects of Water Stress and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycoperseci on Growth (leaf area, plant height, shoot dry matter) and Shoot Nitrogen Content of Tomatoes Under Greenhouse Conditions

Effects of water stress and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycoperseci (Fol) on the growth of tomatoes were studied in a greenhouse experiment. Treatments consisted of five levels of water stress (1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 day irrigation intervals). Infested soil consisting of 400 chlamydospores g1 of Fol and non infested soil were used. Experiments arranged in a completely randomized design with 8 replications (4 infested and 4 non infested soil) under greenhouse conditions (18-35 0C). Six week old tomato seedlings, cultivar Porimo, were exposed to water stress after transferring to infested and non infested soils. During the experiment, leaf area, final plant height, shoot dry weight and shoot nitrogen content were measured. Disease symptoms appeared earlier in treatments with high water stress than the other t reatments. Results showed that leaf area, final plant height, shoot dry weight and shoot nitrogen content were reduced both with increasing irrigation intervals and in infested soils. Root colonization by Fol increased with increasing irrigation intervals, but differences were not significant.