Responses of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants to iron deficiency in the root zone

Iron deficiency induces a yellowing in the aerial part of plants, known as iron chlorosis, and reduces the growth, yield, and quality of the fruits. Understanding plant response to iron deficiency is essential for agronomic management. This study decoded the temporal response of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to iron deficiency by quantifying different vegetative parameters. Subapical root swelling in the first 2.0 mm and several shoot and root growth parameters were measured in plants grown in a nutrient solution with and without Fe, on different dates designated as days after transplantation (DAT). Correlations between the total chlorophyll concentration in young leaves and 22 morphological and physiological parameters were also calculated. The plants grown in the absence of Fe had a higher number of secondary roots at 3 DAT, compared to control plants. On the same date, subapical root swelling was also observed, particularly at 1.5 and 2.0 mm from the root tip. Those plants also had a lower chlorophyll content in young leaves and a higher ferric-chelate reductase activity (FCR; EC 1.16.1.17) in the roots. At 9 DAT, the overall vegetative performance (plant height, fresh weight of stems and leaves) was negatively affected. At the end of the experiment (14 DAT), significant correlations were found between chlorophyll and the studied parameters. In conclusion, tomato plants experienced a cascade of responses to Fe deficiency throughout nine days: firstly, root lateralization increased; later, root swelling was observed, and a decrease in leaf chlorophyll content was registered associated with an increase in root FCR. At the end, the biomass of tomato plants decreased.