Ácido salicílico exógeno em mudas de Euterpe Oleracea Mart. Cultivadas sob déficit hídrico

Abstract

Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) is a fruit widely consumed in Brazil due to its nutritional and medicinal properties. The state of Maranhão plays a significant role in açaí production, with a 194.8% increase in production value compared to previous years, making it the second most important crop among Maranhão's permanent crops. However, this production can be negatively impacted by several abiotic factors, such as water restriction. Maranhão has been experiencing a drought period that limits water availability for plants, which may lead to morphological, physiological, and biochemical disturbances, affecting photosynthesis and reducing açaí productivity. One alternative to mitigate the negative effects of water stress is the use of bioregulators, such as salicylic acid (SA), to enhance the plant's tolerance mechanisms under these conditions. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of salicylic acid application on chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthetic pigments, and osmotic regulation in açaí seedlings subjected to water stress. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a randomized block design (RBD), in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, with two soil water levels (control – near field capacity and water stress – 20%) and three concentrations of salicylic acid (0.0; 0.5 mM; 1.0 mM), with five replications, totaling 30 experimental plots. The exogenous application of low SA concentrations proved effective in improving physiological traits and biomass accumulation in açaí plants under water deficit conditions. Furthermore, the contents of soluble carbohydrates and proline were significantly affected by water stress. However, high concentrations of SA triggered negative effects in well-watered açaí plants.