PJB-2017-549
ACETYL SALICYLIC ACID AFFECT GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum L.) UNDER DIFFERENT GROWTH CONDITIONS
ATIFULLAH
Abstract
Tomato plants are sensitive and require adequate environmental conditions in summer and monsoon to grow and produce fruits. In current study exogenous application of various levels of acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) at ASA0 (Control), ASA1 (0.30 mM), ASA2 (0.60 mM), ASA3 (0.90 mM), ASA4 (1.20 mM), ASA5 (1.50 mM) were investigated for induction of thermo-tolerance in tomato seedlings (cultivar: Rio Grande), transplanted in open field (average 32?C) and plastic tunnel (average 45?C/4 h daily) at the Directorate of Vegetable, NARC (National agricultural research centre) Islamabad, during summer 2016. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with split plot arrangement having twelve treatments, and three replications. The data analyzed was significant and the negative effects of heat stress were recovered to different extents by the application of acetyl salicylic acid. Under different growth conditions, maximum number of days to flowering (18.05), plant height (65.97 cm), stem diameter (1.69 cm), number of leaves plant-1 (35.37), number of flowers plant-1 (88.61), number of fruits plant-1 (39.05), total yield (28.48 tons ha-1), chlorophyll content (58.78), and leaf relative water content (74.25 %) was recorded in the open field. Among acetyl salicylic acid levels, ASA4 (1.20 mM) treatment significantly minimized the losses, and showed the maximum number of leaves (36.28), flowers (105.53), total yield (30.97 tons ha-1), chlorophyll content (62.24), and leaf relative water content (74 %) as compared to the plants under heat stress (control). No significant effect of acetyl salicylic acid on the stem diameter was observed. ASA5 (1.50 mM) showed maximum plant height (65.29 cm) and minimum days to flowering (13.50 days). Overall ASA4 (1.20 mM) produced better results in terms of growth and yield in both growth conditions and increased tolerance towards heat stress in tomato seedlings.
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