The Effect of Salicylic Acid on the Growth Features of Sunflower Crops in Iraqi Middle-area Conditions

Abstract

In order to determine the role of adding salicylic acid in reducing the impact of drought on the sunflower crop and increasing its tolerance to water stress, a field experiment was conducted during the spring of 2020 AD in one of the private agricultural fields in Latifiya district, Baghdad. Two agents were used in the experiment; the first was salicylic acid, which contained four Concentrations are (0, 100, 200, and 300 mg. L−1), and their corresponding symbols are S0, S1, S2, and S3, respectively. The second element is irrigation, which has three intervals (7, 14, and 21 days) between irrigations, and corresponding symbols I1, I2, and I3, respectively. The results indicated that, the highest plant height (PLH) was at 300 mg. L−1 treatment which was 189.98 cm. there are significant differences in the average number of leaves in the plant (NOL) when increasing the concentration of the spray solution of salicylic acid on the sun flower plant, as the highest average trait was 29.98 leaves. Plant−1 at the treatment 300 mg. L−1. The highest average LA was at the treatment 300 mg.-1 which amounted to 1931.9 cm2.Plant-1.the treatment 300 mg. L−1 recorded the highest average for leaf area index (LAI) was 4.95. The irrigation intervals have shown a clear significant effect on all growth characters, the irrigation interval at 7 days gave highest rate of plant height (189.05 cm), number of leaves in the plant (NOL) (29.05leaf. Plant−1), Leaf area of the plant (LA) (1711. 2cm2.plant−1), Leaf area index (LAI) (4.83).