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Effect of Salicylic Acid Foliar Application on Oxidative Stress Alleviation, Antioxidant System Responses and Yield of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under Linuron Herbicide Treatment
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Hakim Saki   , Alireza Abdali Mashhadi , Elham Elahi Fard , Ali Ghatei * |
| Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, Iran. |
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Abstract: (3 Views) |
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of foliar application of salicylic acid on yield and the alleviation of linuron-induced oxidative stress in sunflower. The experiment was conducted as a factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications during the 2021–2022 growing season. Experimental factors included different levels of linuron herbicide (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 L ha⁻¹) and foliar application of salicylic acid (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mM). Application of linuron alone significantly increased grain yield, thousand-seed weight, and sunflower dry matter, while reducing weed dry weight. The interaction between linuron and salicylic acid was significant for oil yield, number of seeds per head, catalase activity, and malondialdehyde content. The highest oil yield (1459 kg ha⁻¹) was obtained with 1 L ha⁻¹ linuron combined with 0.5 mM salicylic acid, which was 102% higher than the control. The maximum seed yield (3937.9 kg ha⁻¹) and thousand‑seed weight (55.7 g) were observed with 1 L ha⁻¹ linuron representing increases of 50% and 19%, respectively, compared to the control. Moreover, the highest catalase activity and the lowest malondialdehyde content were recorded in treatments containing higher linuron concentrations (0.75 and 1 L ha⁻¹) combined with 0.5 mM salicylic acid. Overall, foliar application of 0.5 mM salicylic acid effectively alleviated the potential adverse effects of linuron by activating the antioxidant system (increasing catalase activity) and reducing oxidative stress indicators (malondialdehyde), thereby improving sunflower performance in some cases. Therefore, the combined application of linuron and salicylic acid can be recommended as an effective management strategy to enhance sunflower oil yield.
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| Keywords: Oxidative stress, oil yield and catalase enzyme activity. |
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Full-Text [PDF 967 kb]
(3 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Applicable |
Subject:
Abiotic Stresses
Received: 2026/02/24 | Accepted: 2026/05/31 | Published: 2026/05/31
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