Hydromulching Enhances the Growth of Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) Plants Subjected to Drought Stress through Hormonal Regulation of Source–Sink Relationships

Mulching the soil with organic-based formulations (hydromulching) is a sustainable alternative to plastic mulching that here hypothesized maintain crop production under drought stress by hormonal and metabolic regulation of source–sink relationships. To test this hypothesis, artichoke plants were grown on non-mulched mulched polyethylene three different organic mixtures, subjected optimal reduced irrigation regimes. Under stress, growth parameters higher in treatments compared plants, which was related photosynthetic rate water-use efficiency. Importantly, mulching-associated improvement explained sucrolytic activity leaves accompanied decline active cytokinins. Besides this, salicylic acid decreased leaves, abscisic ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic impaired heads, associated better photoassimilate partitioning. Taken together, these results help explain hydromulching-associated artichokes water through sucrose metabolism, could be very useful future breeding programs for tolerance.