The effect of irrigation schedules (IW/CPE ratio) on biophysical parameters, yield and yield attributing characters in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants were evaluated in the field experiment at KRC College of Horticulture, Arabhavi, Karnataka. Drought was imposed two weeks after transplanting to all the genotypes in both the IW/CPE ratio of 0.40 and 1.20 treatments. Maximum photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance were observed at 1.2 IW/CPE ratio (22.63 mmoles CO2 m-2 s-1, 9.42 mmoles H2O m-2 s-1 and 0.62 mmoles m-2 s-1, respectively). These biophysical characters were significantly reduced as the stress level increased from 1.2 IW/CPE ratio to 0.4 IW/CPE ratio (17.90 mmoles CO2 m-2 s-1, 7.66 mmoles H2O m-2 s-1 and 0.40 mmoles m-2 s-1, respectively).
Yield attributing characters such as, fruit weight and fruit volume varied from 42.17 to 81.25 g and 46.50 to 81.25 cc at 1.2 IW/CPE ratio, respectively while, at 0.4 IW/CPE ratio it ranged from 34.94 to 67.21 g to 38.50 to 72.25 cc, respectively. There was 16.52 and 22.10 per cent reduction in fruit weight and volume was noticed when stress increased from 1.2 to 0.4 IW/CPE ratio. There was significant reduction in yield was noticed at 0.4 IW/CPE ratio compared to 1.2 IW/CPE ratio, to the extent of 39.99 per cent. Yield varied from 0.91 to 2.30 and 0.64 to 1.46 kg/plant at 1.2 and 0.4 IW/CPE ratio, respectively.