Salicylic acid relieves the effect of saline stress on soursop morphysiology

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.