APPLIED ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, cilt.17, sa.2, ss.3753-3767, 2019 (SCI-Expanded)
Glycine betaine (GB) is a quaternary ammonium compound that can be found in a wide range of bacterial, plant and animal species. The exogenous application of GB is a convenient method for the induction of crop tolerance to various abiotic stresses. We examined the effects of different exogenous GB concentrations to deficit irrigation conditions (15% drainage) under soilless condition in terms of morpho-physiological, yield, quality and biochemical features. The different GB concentrations (0, 10 and 20 mM) were used in Fortuna and Albion strawberry cultivars. As a result of the research, GB treatments increased plant growth and yield under deficit irrigation conditions. Fruit weight inclined by 26.29-49.50% and fruit yield by 17.17-39.59% at GB treatments as compared to control. Regarding biochemical content, increasing GB concentrations from 0 mM to 20 mM caused total anthocyanin to decrease, whereas the ascorbic acid increased. Furthermore, the highest yield, fruit firmness, chroma and total anthocyanin were determined in the Fortuna; the highest total soluble solid and ascorbic acid content in the Albion cultivar. Our results showed that the increase in yield and quality was due to exogenous GB applications. Indeed, water stress tolerance varied depending on cultivars.