Salicylic acid on gas exchange and growth of Hymenaea courbaril L. seedlings under flooding

ABSTRACT Flooding is a stressful condition that causes damage to the photosynthetic apparatus, negatively affecting growth of seedlings fruit species, including Hymenaea courbaril L. Studies on physiological management, such as exogenous application phytohormones, alleviate abiotic stress have increased. The objective this study was evaluate effect foliar salicylic acid (SA) H. subjected flooding. received four concentrations SA (0, 100, 200, and 400 mg L-1) were two water regimes: a) control - non-flooded irrigated daily b) flooded placed in plastic pool, keeping depth at ± 5.0 cm above substrate level. After 35 days, we evaluated gas exchange, initial growth, quality, potential ecological resilience seedlings. All survived, but had reduced photosynthesis, carboxylation Rubisco efficiency, water-use stomatal conductance when they 100-300 L-1 SA. between 100 300 greater phenotypic plasticity. Foliar did not mitigated flooding exchange contributed