Growth, Productivity and Quality of Cucumber Plants as Influenced by Drought Stress and Salicylic Acid under Protected Condition

Drought stress is a harmful non-biological factor that reduces growth and development of plants as well as yields. Salicylic acid is a plant hormone that belongs to phenol compounds that regulate the activation of biotic and abiotic stress defense systems on the cucumber plants. In this study drip irrigation was used to investigate the impact of drought stress and salicylic acid on the growth, production, and quality of cucumber plants. The obtained results showed that the highest value of plant parameters as plant height, leaves number and leaf area, nitrogen, potassium, chlorophyll, and proline contents as well as fruit physical parameters such as fruit number, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit yield and fruit volume and chemicals characteristics like as T.S.S., ascorbic acid and total sugar were found when the application of 80 % irrigation level. However, T.S.S. and proline contents were enhanced under 65 % irrigation level. The results showed that under 80 or 65 % irrigation level with foliar application of salicylic acid at 1.0 mM was more effective than 0.5 and 0.75 mM in improving plant growth and yield characteristics. It could be concluded that the foliar application of the salicylic acid can relax the harmful impacts under lack irrigation (drought stress) of cucumber plants.