Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops grown throughout the world.

India is the third

largest tomato producing country in the world after China and contributes around 11.5% to the global
tomato production. In India, it is being cultivated in an area of 0.8 m ha with a production of 21 million
tonnes (NHB, 2018). Though consumption is very high in Kerala, tomato is cultivated sporadically with a
lower productivity of 14.25 tonnes/ha due to a wide range of abiotic and biotic stresses

The effect of each abiotic factor on plants depends on its quantity or intensity. Any deviation from
optimal external conditions, that is, an excess or deficit in the chemical or physical environment, is
regarded as abiotic stress and adversely affect plant growth, development and productivity (Bray et al.,
2000). In today’s climate change scenarios, crops are more frequently exposed to abiotic stresses such
as drought, salinity, elevated temperature, flood etc.