Induction of tolerance to salt stress in tomato seeds primed with salicylic acid

Salinity affects millions of acres of farmland worldwide, and is increasing every day. Therefore, tolerance inducers in plants have been widely used, among them salicylic acid. Thus, it was aimed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of salicylic acid on germination and growth of tomato seedlings in saline conditions. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design, in a 4 x factorial (four concentrations of salicylic acid: 0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mM; and two stress treatments: control and saline stress), with four replicates. The salicylic acid, when at the concentration of 1.0 mM and in saline condition, inhibits the percentage and rate of germination speed in tomato seeds in the initial phase. The salinity reduces the percentage and rate of germination speed of tomato seeds, besides the growth and water content the seedlings, but increases the dry mass of the aerial part. The increase in salicylic acid concentrations, in salinity condition, increases seedling growth and relative water content, and decreases the extravasation of electrolytes, improving growth vigor index.