Effects of salicylic acid on morphological and physiological characteristics of sweet corn hybrids under water stress conditions

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of different levels of salicylic acid (SA) on yield and some morphological and physiological characteristics of sweet corn hybrids under water stress, this study was conducted in 2015 using split plots in the base of randomized complete block design with three replications. Treatments were included water stress at three levels, salicylic acid at three subplot levels and three hybrids of sweet corn (pashen, basin and chalenjer) respectively as main plot, sub plot and sub plots. The effect of SA except of catalos amount was significant on other traits. Differences among the cultivars were not significant except of chlorophyll. The interaction between water stress, salicylic acid and hybrids treatments were significant on all traits.

The maximum forage wet and dry matter yields and also seed yield were obtained respectively 4541, 1123 and 1455 kg per hectare when the three following treatments, irrigation after drainage 50% available soil water, SA 0.5 ml molar and pashen hybrid were combined.

The results showed that the effect of water deficit stress was significant on all the traits studied. In general the results showed that application of SA relatively reduced the negative effects of water deficit stress.

Keywords: Catalase; peroxidase; chlorophyll; water deficit stress; yield