Debilitation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) as result of heat stress

Abstract

High temperatures cause an array of morpho-anatomical, physiological and biochemical changes in tomato plants, which affect plant growth and development and may lead to a radical reduction in economic yield. The adverse effects of heat stress on tomato can be mitigated by developing crop plants with improved thermotolerance using various genetic approaches. Heat stress affects tomato plant growth throughout its ontogeny, though heat-threshold level varies considerably at different developmental stages. For instance, during seed germination, high temperature may slow down or totally inhibit germination, depending on tomato plant species and the intensity of the stress. At later stages, high temperature may adversely affect photosynthesis, respiration, water relations and membrane stability, and also modulate levels of metabolites. In order to cope with heat stress, plants implement various mechanisms, including maintenance of membrane stability, scavenging of ROS, production of antioxidants, accumulation and adjustment of compatible solutes. The objective of our study was to collect and elaborate the work done by different scientists at different levels and approaches to create heat tolerance in tomato crop.