ALLEVIATION OF ADVERSE EFFECTS OF SALT STRESS IN TOMATO BY FOLIAR APPLICATION OF SALICYLIC ACID

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted at the net house of Agro-Environmental Chemistry Laboratory of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, during the period from November 2017 - August 2018 to find out the alleviation of adverse effects of salt stress in tomato by foliar application of salicylic acid. The experiment comprised of two factors: Factor-1. Salinity levels: 0, 3, 6 and 9 dSm -1 and Factor- 2. Rate of salicylic acid: 0 mM, 0.5 mM, 1 mM and 1.5 mM. BARI tomato -14 was used as the test crop. Data were taken from plant height, leaves plant -1 , number of branches plant -1 , days to 1 st flowering from transplanting, number of flower cluster -1 , number of flower cluster plant ,number of flower plant -1 , number of fruit plant -1 , length of fruit, diameter of fruit, fruit yield plant -1 , K, Na, Ca and P content in fruit. When single effect was considered, salinity adversely affected most of the growth and yield parameters and nutrient content except Na, but application of salicylic acid elevated all the mentioned parameters. When combined effect was considered, maximum plant height (70.33 cm), leaves plant -1 (53.50) at final harvest, number of branches plant -1 -1 (6.67), flower plant

(19.18), fruit plant -1 (11.78) and fruit yield plant -1 (470.30 g) were found from S 0

treatment. Whereas the minimum plant height (23.00 cm), number of branches plant 1 (2.33), flower plant -1 (6.10), fruit plant -1 (4.88) and fruit yield plant -1 (161.50 g) were found from S 9 SA 0.0 treatment. In all the salinity levels, it was found that foliar application of salicylic acid reduce adverse effect of salt stress. Such as at S 9 salinity level showed minimum fruit yield plant -1 (161.50 g) was found when no salicylic acid was applied but maximum fruit yield plant salicylic acid was applied as foliar S 9 SA 1.5. -1 (186.70 g) was found when SA 1.5 Similar trend was observed for all the parameter except K, Ca and Na content. -1 SA 1.5