Effects of salicylic acid on growth and accumulation of phenolics in Zea mays L. under drought stress

Figures & data

Figure 1. Effect of SA on (a) shoot fresh weight (LSD: 0.1302) and (b) shoot dry weight (LSD: 0.0348) of maize under drought stress. Notes: Means sharing a common English alphabet are statistically similar. Treatments: Control (foliar-applied distilled water), Drought plants subjected to drought stress, SA1 – foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁴ mol/L), SA2 – foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁵ mol/L), DSA1 – drought + foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁴ mol/L), DSA2 – drought + foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁵ mol/L).

Figure 2. Effect of SA on (a) root fresh weight (LSD: 0.3390) and (b) root dry weight (LSD: 0.1540) of maize under drought stress. Notes: Means sharing a common English alphabet are statistically similar. Treatments: Control (foliar-applied distilled water), Drought plants subjected to drought stress, SA1 – foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁴ mol/L), SA2 – foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁵ mol/L), DSA1 – drought + foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁴ mol/L), DSA2 – drought + foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁵ mol/L).

Figure 3. Effect of SA on (a) root length (LSD: 26.037) and (b) rot area (LSD: 1.4617) of maize under drought stress. Notes: Means sharing a common English alphabet are statistically similar. Treatments: Control (foliar-applied distilled water), Drought plants subjected to drought stress, SA1 – foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁴ mol/L), SA2 – foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁵ mol/L), DSA1 – drought + foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁴ mol/L), DSA2 – drought + foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁵ mol/L).

Figure 4. Effect of SA on (a) LRWC (LSD: 29.941) and (b) total soluble proteins content (LSD: 53.228) of maize under drought stress. Notes: Means sharing a common English alphabet are statistically similar. Treatments: Control (foliar-applied distilled water), Drought plants subjected to drought stress, SA1 – foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁴ mol/L), SA2 – foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁵ mol/L), DSA1 – drought + foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁴ mol/L), DSA2 – drought + foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁵ mol/L).

Figure 5. Effect of SA on (a) total phenolics content (LSD: 14.527) and (b) cell wall-bound phenolics (LSD: 2.110) of maize under drought stress. Notes: Means sharing a common English alphabet are statistically similar. Treatments: Control (foliar-applied distilled water), Drought plants subjected to drought stress, SA1 – foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁴ mol/L), SA2 – foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁵ mol/L), DSA1 – drought + foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁴ mol/L), DSA2 – drought + foliar-applied SA (10⁻⁵ mol/L).

Table 1. Correlations (Pearson).

	TSP	CBP	Proteins	RA	RDW	RFW	RL	RWC	SDW
CBP p-Value	0.7121 0.0001
Proteins	0.3027	0.7074
	0.1506	0.0001
RA	0.1531	−0.146	−0.299
	0.4752	2.4954	3.1553
RDW	−0.248	−0.163	0.0783	−0.020
	5.4752	7.4447	0.7162	9.9227
RFW	0.0931	−0.072	0.0457	0.111	0.6338
	0.6652	9.7351	0.8320	8.6029	0.0009
RL	0.1112	−0.156	−0.469	0.538	0.0392	0.0602
	0.6050	0.4667	7.0206	3.0067	0.8557	0.7800
RWC	−0.149	−0.577	−0.346	0.428	0.4019	0.3152	0.223
	6.4855	5.0031	9.0968	4.0367	0.0515	0.1334	0.2949
SDW	0.1433	0.2304	0.4145	0.088	−0.228	−0.152	0.219	0.023
	0.5040	0.2787	0.0440	5.6809	6.2826	6.4766	5.3028	3.9140
SFW	−0.324	−0.629	−0.336	0.2983	0.2814	0.1222	0.080	0.538	0.527
	6.1218	8.0010	3.1081	0.1569	0.1828	0.5695	5.7085	3.0067	9.0080

Notes: TSP, total soluble phenolics; CBP, cell wall-bound phenolics; RA, root area; RDW, root dry weight; RFW, root fresh weight; RL, root length; RWC, relative water content; SDW, shoot dry weight; SFW, shoot fresh weight.