Strigolactones influence on tomato water use efficiency under drought

The present work aims to analyse the influence of strigolactones on yield and agronomic WUE under drought. In order to investigate this issue, these parameters are being evaluated under well-watered and drought stress conditions, in self-grafted wild-type (M82) and strigolactone-depleted tomato plants (CCD7-silenced). Additionally, hetero-grafted plants (wild-type scions on strigolactone-depleted rootstocks, which leads to higher strigolactones in leaves) and self-grafted, strigolactone-treated wild-type plants are used to investigate the potentially positive effects of a moderate excess of hormone in the shoot on agronomic WUE and yield.