Abstract
ABSTRACT The cultivation of soursop has increased in recent years due to the advance of agribusiness and due to its use by the pharmaceutical industry. As a source of vitamin C, calcium, carbohydrates and antioxidant substances, soursop helps to protect the human body against oxidative stress, acting in the prevention of a series of chronic degenerative disorders. In this context, the objective of present study was to evaluate the effects of foliar sprays with salicylic acid to mitigate the effects of salt stress on the morphophysiology of soursop. The study was conducted in a greenhouse, in a randomized block design and a 5 × 4 factorial arrangement, with five levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water - ECw (0.8-control; 1.6; 2.4; 3.2 and 4.0 dS m-1) and four concentrations of salicylic acid - SA (0; 1.2; 2.4 and 3.6 mM), with three replicates. Foliar application of SA at concentrations between 1.2 and 1.6 mM mitigated the effects of salt stress on stomatal conductance, CO2 assimilation rate, transpiration and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency of soursop at 480 days after transplanting. Spraying with SA at concentrations between 1.3 and 1.6 mM induced acclimatization to salt stress in soursop plants, since the percentage of intercellular electrolyte leakage was reduced and the growth was favored by the application of SA, even when exposed to salinity. Irrigation with ECw above 0.8 dS m-1 reduced the relative water content in the leaves of soursop cv. Morada Nova.
Highlights
Salinity is one of the worst abiotic stresses that threaten agricultural production in the 21st century, and its adverse effects are expected to increase due to the climate change in recent years, especially in semi-arid regions (Ahmadi; Souri, 2018; Souana et al, 2020).The difficulty for the expansion of crops irrigated with saline water is related to the damage caused by the combination of osmotic and ionic stresses, which restricts the absorption of water and nutrients and affects physiological processes and plant growth (Ahmadi; Souri, 2020)
Salicylic acid concentrations studied were based on a study conducted by Abbaszadeh et al (2020) and ECw levels were according to results reported by Veloso et al (2019)
The soursop cultivar ‘Morada Nova’ was chosen because it is the most appreciated by producers, making up most commercial orchards in Brazil, besides having larger fruits, which can weigh up to 15 kg, and higher production compared to other cultivars (São Jose et al, 2014)
Summary
The difficulty for the expansion of crops irrigated with saline water is related to the damage caused by the combination of osmotic and ionic stresses, which restricts the absorption of water and nutrients and affects physiological processes and plant growth (Ahmadi; Souri, 2020). Given the increasing need to use saline water in irrigated agriculture, studies that enable the use of these sources of water have become indispensable. In this context, the use of salicylic acid - SA has emerged to minimize the harmful effects caused by abiotic stresses such as salinity (Nazar et al, 2015). Souri and Tohidloo (2019) has shown recently that the time and the method of application as well as the concentration of SA can significantly influence plant responses under salinity
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