Role of Foliar Treatment with Salicylic Acid on Tomato Plants Affected by Water Stress

Gabriel-Alin Iosob, Tina Oana Cristea

Stațiunea de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Legumicultură din Bacău

Keywords: plant growth, stimulating growth, stress factors, VRDS Bacău.

Abstract: A pot experiment was carried out at the Vegetables Research and Development Station from Bacău to observe the effect of salicylic acid (SA) on the growth of tomato plants under water stress conditions. The experiment was conducted in a growth chamber and consists of four variants [V1 - normally watered plants (WW); V2 - normally watered plants combined with salicylic acid treatment (WW+SA); V3 - plants under water stress (DS); V4 - plants under water stress and salicylic acid treatment (DS+SA)] in four replicates with ten plants per replicate. A salicylic acid treatment was applied to WW+SA and DS+SA 30 days after the seedlings were sprouted and placed in pots. Leaves were sprayed with a 1 mM SA solution until both sides were completely moistened. Water stress was applied on DS and DS+SA variants for ten days after treatment application, by stopping watering the plants.
On day 11, all plants on the experimental variants were watered, and after 48 hours, measurements were taken.
The results showed that tomato plants exposed to water stress and treated with salicylic acid grew better than those not exposed. They were comparable to the values recorded in plants of the WW variant. Plants of the DS variant remained undeveloped compared to those of the other variants. In general, the SA action stimulated development and growth of tomato plants.