Differential impact of dawn and dusk watering on tomato metabolism and biomass allocation

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Abstract
Water supply constraints limit crop yield across seasons and locations, restricting food production under diverse climate scenarios. Irrigation schedules that align with plant water demand at specific times of the day have been proposed to overcome limitations in the water supply. Watering crops in the morning has been associated with reductions in productivity, although the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that watering tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) at different times of the day alters the transcriptional patterns of genes controlling flowering induction. Dawn watering (DAW) triggered a strong repression of the single flower truss (SFT) gene, leading to metabolite accumulation and delayed development. Dusk-watered plants showed increased fruit production compared to DAW-treated plants. Our findings highlight how metabolism and development in tomato are remodeled by the timing of watering, suggesting strategies to enhance tomato water-use efficiency by incorporating time-specific watering practices in agriculture.
Funding Information
  • National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (407276/2021-1, 406455/2022-8)
  • Foundation for Research Assistance of the Minas Gerais State, Brazil (RED-00060-23)

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