Summary:

The response of two strawberry cultivars (‘Elsanta', ‘Sonata') to drought was examined by evaluating the yield and selected morphological and physiological parameters. Plants were subjected to two different water regimes: optimal irrigation (control), and reduced irrigation (water potential in the growing medium was maintained at a level -30 kPa, stress treatment). Genotypes differed in their response to water deficiency. Cultivar ‘Sonata' presented high rates of net photosynthesis with high value of water use efficiency (a ratio of photosynthetic rate to transpiration rate) under water shortage conditions. Drought stress reduced leaf area in all cultivars, but root development was retarded only in ‘Elsanta'. Under water deficiency conditions reduction of yield was higher for
‘Elsanta'. ‘Sonata' appeared to be more drought resistant which was reflected by both growth and yield parameters.