Abstract
Fruit tree culture is at the brink of disaster in arid to semi-arid regions due to low water availability. A pot experiment was carried out to analyze whether foliar application of salicylic acid (SA) can improve water stress tolerance in Syzygiumcumini. Saplings were subjected to control (CK, 90% of field capacity, FC), medium stress (MS, 60% of FC) and high stress (HS, 30% of FC) along with foliar application of 0.5 and 1.0 mM of SA. Results showed that soil water deficit significantly decreased leaf, stem and total dry weight, leaf gas exchange attributes and chlorophyll a, b. However, root dry weight and root/shoot ratio increased under MS and HS, respectively. Contrarily, foliar application of SA significantly improved chlorophyll a, b, leaf gas exchange attributes, and dry weight production under soil water deficit. Concentration of oxidants like hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radicals, along with malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage increased under soil water deficit; however, decreased in plants sprayed with SA due to the increase in the concentration of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase. Results suggest that the foliar application of SA can help improve water stress tolerance in Syzygiumcumini saplings; however, validation of the results under field conditions is necessary.
Highlights
Increasing fossil fuel consumption, deforestation and industrialization is contributing towards a significant increase in global average air temperature, which has influenced the frequency and severity of drought events in many regions of the world [1,2]
It can be concluded that the foliar application of salicylic acid (SA) significantly decreased the concentration of H2 O2, O2 −, MDA and EL% which was mediated by the increased production of antioxidant enzymes. In this experiment we were able to demonstrate that soil water deficit treatments had a significant negative effect on S. cumini saplings as a significant decrease was evidenced in various growth parameters, dry weight production and physiological attributes
Increase in growth parameters, dry weight production and increase in compatible solutes and secondary metabolites such as total phenolic contents and soluble protein was observed in plants under foliar application of SA
Summary
Increasing fossil fuel consumption, deforestation and industrialization is contributing towards a significant increase in global average air temperature, which has influenced the frequency and severity of drought events in many regions of the world [1,2]. It has been estimated that 36% of the global area falls under arid to semi-arid climate where annual precipitation is between 50–150 mm [4]. Being an agricultural country, the diversion of canal water towards farm crops has worsened the situation for fruit tree culture and tree plantations. Such a situation calls for urgent measures that can ensure the survival and production sustainability of fruit trees under a changing climate that could rekindle the diminishing confidence of local farmers
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