ABSTRACT The search for alternatives that enable the use of saline waters in agriculture has become constant. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the effects of salicylic acid in mitigating salt stress effects on the growth and gas exchange of soursop cv. ‘Morada Nova’. The study was conducted in a greenhouse, in the municipality of Campina Grande - PB, Brazil. Treatments were distributed in randomized blocks, in a 5 x 4 factorial arrangement, corresponding to five levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water - ECw (0.8; 1.6; 2.4; 3.2 and 4.0 dS m-1) and four concentrations of salicylic acid - SA (0; 1.2; 2.4 and 3.6 mM), with three replicates. Irrigation with saline water compromised the growth and gas exchange of soursop cv. ‘Morada Nova’. However, exogenous application of salicylic acid induced tolerance to salt stress in soursop plants, as their growth, transpiration, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency were favored by the application of salicylic acid, even when exposed to water salinity. | RESUMO A busca por alternativas que possibilitem o uso de águas salinas na agricultura tem se tornado constante. Neste contexto, objetivou-se, avaliar os efeitos do ácido salicílico na mitigação do estresse salino no crescimento e nas trocas gasosas da gravioleira cv. Morada Nova. O estudo foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, no município de Campina Grande - PB. Os tratamentos foram distribuídos em blocos casualizados, em arranjo fatorial 5 x 4, sendo cinco níveis de condutividade elétrica da água de irrigação - CEa (0,8; 1,6; 2,4; 3,2 e 4,0 dS m-1) e quatro concentrações de ácido salicílico - AS (0; 1,2; 2,4 e 3,6 mM), com três repetições. A irrigação com águas salinas comprometeu o crescimento e as trocas gasosas da gravioleira cv. Morada Nova. Entretanto, a aplicação exógena do ácido salicílico induziu a tolerância ao estresse salino a gravioleira, visto que, as plantas tiveram seu crescimento, transpiração, condutância estomática, fotossíntese e eficiência instantânea da carboxilação beneficiadas pela aplicação do ácido salicílico, mesmo quando expostas a salinidade da água.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate, through multivariate data analysis, the effect of exogenous application of hydrogen peroxide on the photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange and growth of soursop seedlings under salt stress. The study was conducted in a greenhouse, at Federal University of Campina Grande - Paraíba. The assay was carried out from May to October 2018. The treatments were distributed in a randomized block design, in a 5 × 5 factorial arrangement, corresponding to five levels of irrigation water electrical conductivity - ECw (0.6-control, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4, and 3.0 dS m-1) and five concentrations of hydrogen peroxide - H2O2 (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 μM), with two plants per plot and four replicates. Irrigation water salinity from 1.2 dS m-1 negatively affected the biosynthesis of photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange and growth of soursop. Application of hydrogen peroxide at the concentration of 20 μM resulted in attenuation of salt stress effects on the biosynthesis of photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange and growth of soursop. Hydrogen peroxide concentrations above 30 μM intensified the deleterious effect of irrigation water salinity on the photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange and growth of soursop.