Summary
This narrative review synthesises approaches for inducing controlled water stress in major Solanum crops (tomato, potato, eggplant) to enable researcher and breeder identification of drought-tolerant genotypes. It compares the benefits and limitations of key methodologies—irrigation withholding, field capacity adjustment, evapotranspiration-based approaches, and osmotic agents—and reviews physiological, biochemical and phenotypic responses to water deficit. The review also addresses challenges of combining water stress with concurrent field stressors and the potential role of biostimulants and wild Solanum species in enhancing drought tolerance.
Regional applicability
The methodologies and crop selection are broadly relevant to United Kingdom horticulture, particularly for protected and field-grown tomato and potato production, which face increasing water scarcity risks. However, the review's primary focus on low-precipitation drought scenarios may be most immediately applicable to southern and eastern UK regions; transferability to other geographies depends on alignment of climate stressors and production systems.
Key measures
Methods for inducing water stress (withholding irrigation, field capacity levels, evapotranspiration criteria, polyethylene glycol); growth and biomass responses; physiological and biochemical traits under water deficit; drought tolerance phenotyping tools
Outcomes reported
The review systematically examines methodologies for inducing water stress in tomato, potato, and eggplant to identify drought-tolerant genotypes, comparing approaches including withholding irrigation, field capacity adjustment, evapotranspiration criteria, and polyethylene glycol application. It evaluates the impact of water deficit on growth, biomass, physiological and biochemical traits, and discusses phenotyping tools and the potential use of wild Solanum species for improving drought tolerance.
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