Photosynthesis, Salicylic Acid Content and Enzyme Activity of Triticum aestivum L. Influenced by the Use of a Seaweed Biostimulant Based on Solieria chordalis

Abstract

Plant elicitation provides multi-bene ts to plant development and defense, besides helping to make agriculture more sustainable. However, the use of wrong experimental designs and technics directly affects the results obtained. This favors the generation of biased and unreliable data. Therefore, an investigation was conducted to assess the eliciting potential of a red seaweed biostimulant (RSB) alone or in combination with fungicide in total controlled conditions on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants. Catalase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), salicylic acid (SA) content, powdery mildew incidence, photosynthetic rates, and the water use e ciency were assessed in different periods after the application of the elicitor. The use of the RSB prevented the incidence of powdery mildew in wheat plants. The fungicide alone or in combination with the RSB resulted in negative photosynthetic rates and downregulated the activity of some enzymes. A greater PAL activity did not warrant a greater accumulation of SA in plants. Overall, the use of fungicide negatively affected wheat's primary and specialized metabolisms when compared to the application of the RSB alone.