Morphophysiologycal evaluation of gold moss stonecrop (Sedum acre L.) under salicylic acid treatment in water deficit

Salicylic acid can improve plant stress tolerance by changing the physiological and morphological characteristics of a plant. This experiment was conducted in order to investigate the morphophysiological responses of gold moss stonecrop (Sedum acre L.) to water deficit stress and salicylic acid application in 2018, in the Horticultural Science Department, at the University of Zanjan, Iran. Three soil available water levels (50, 75, and 100 %) and salicylic acid (0, 1, and 2 millimolar) were applied in a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design, with four replications. Results showed that water deficit (50% available water) reduced leaves relative water content and shoot growth whereas, root growth, root-shoot ratio, leaves antioxidant capacity, electrolyte leakage, proline, total phenol, and chlorophyll content increased with decreasing soil available water. Salicylic acid application ameliorates the adverse effects of water deficit in gold moss stonecrop by increasing leaves antioxidant capacity, proline, and chlorophyll content as well as reducing electrolyte leakage and this effect was more pronounced in concentration 2 mM.