title: Growth and comprehensive quality index of tomato under rain shelters in response to different irrigation and drainage treatments.
abstract: The effects of two levels of irrigation water (100%, 60%) and buried underground pipe depths (0.8 m, 0.6 m) under rain shelters' conditions on yield and some quality parameters of tomato were investigated. A fully randomized factorial experiment was conducted between April and August in 2011 and 2012 at Hohai University. It was found that drainage treatments enhanced biomass production, whereas soil desiccation led to biomass reduction. At 60 cm buried underground pipe depths, the drought treatments increased the mean root weight and root-shoot ratio by 14% and 39%, respectively. The main effects of drainage treatments on the fruit quality were increases in total soluble solids (TSS), soluble sugar (SS), and vitamin C (VC) compared to the control. In addition, drainage treatments increased the average yield by 13% and 9%, respectively, in both years. The drought treatments did not significantly alter fruit yield, although mean single fruit weight was slightly reduced. Instead, these treatments tend to have great potential to improve fruit quality (TSS, SS, and VC) to variable extents. In both years, the drought treatment at 60 cm buried underground pipe depths proved to possess the highest comprehensive quality index based on Principal Component Analysis.
authors: College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China ; Key Laboratory of Efficient Irrigation-Drainage and Agricultural Soil-Water Environment in Southern China, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210098, China.
authors: Guang-cheng
authors: GC
authors: Shao
authors: College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China ; Key Laboratory of Efficient Irrigation-Drainage and Agricultural Soil-Water Environment in Southern China, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210098, China.
authors: Ming-hui
authors: MH
authors: Wang
authors: School of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China.
authors: Na
authors: N
authors: Liu
authors: College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China ; Key Laboratory of Efficient Irrigation-Drainage and Agricultural Soil-Water Environment in Southern China, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210098, China.
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Yuan
authors: Indian River Research & Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Pierce, FL 34945, USA.
authors: Prem
authors: P
authors: Kumar
authors: College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China ; Key Laboratory of Efficient Irrigation-Drainage and Agricultural Soil-Water Environment in Southern China, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210098, China.
authors: Dong-Li
authors: DL
authors: She
mesh_terms: D057914:Agricultural Irrigation / Q000379:methods*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000592:standards; D009753:Nutritive Value
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D001205:Ascorbic Acid