International Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology

International Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology

Potassium Silicate and Salicylic Acid as Mitigation Strategies in Talisia esculenta Seedlings Exposed to Water Stress

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research paper

Authors
Silvana de Paula Quintão Scalon 1
João Lucas da Costa Santos Almeida 2
Cleberton Correia Santos 1
Wállas Matos Cerqueira 1
Vanda Maria de Aquino Figueiredo 3
Jéssica Aline Linné 1
Juliana Milena Silvério 1
Lucas Coutinho Reis 1
Andressa Carolina Foresti 1
Daiane Mugnol Dresch 1
1 UFGD
2 Instituto Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul
3 IAGRO - Agência Estadual de Defesa Sanitária Animal e Vegetal
10.22059/ijhst.2025.396268.1104
Abstract
Our objective was to study strategies to mitigate the effect of water deficit and anaerobic stress (flooding) on Talisia esculenta Radlk seedlings treated with potassium silicate (K2SiO3) or salicylic acid (SA). In the first experiment, the seedlings were exposed to water restriction (WR) for 15 and 35 days, and in the second experiment, they were exposed to flooding (FL) for 15, 30 and 45 days. In both experiments, the seedlings were grown under normal irrigated conditions, WR or FL without or with foliar application of SA (200 mg L–1) and K2SiO3 (10.0 mL L–1). Under WR, the seedlings decreased photosynthetic metabolism and chlorophyll indices, but increased proline content in the leaves, without reducing growth. SA and K2SiO3 attenuated the effects of water restriction for 15 days and contributed to tolerance of seedlings under these conditions. Under FL, seedlings emitted hypertrophied lenticels, but with lower photosynthetic activity. K2SiO3 was more efficient than SA in mitigating the effects of flooding stress for 45 days. SA did not maintain growth under flooding. Under WR, the seedlings showed only 30% survival compared to 100% of seedlings under FL, both without the application of K2SiO3 or SA. However, under water restriction, the application of K2SiO3 provided 80% survival, a result much higher than that of seedlings treated with SA, which showed only 40% survival. T. esculenta has demonstrated potential to cope with water stress, and K2SiO3 has the potential to mitigate stress, representing a strategy for seedling production under adverse conditions for a short period.
Keywords
Water deficit
Flooding
Gas Exchange
Potassium
Proline
Silicon
International Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 01 May 2027

  • Receive Date 29 May 2025
  • Revise Date 11 July 2025
  • Accept Date 13 July 2025