Effect of supplementary irrigation and foliar application of salicylic acid on growth, grain yield and some physiological characteristics of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

In order to evaluate peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) NC2 variety growth as affected by supplementary irrigation and Salicylic acid, this experiment was performed as split plat based on randomized complete block design with three replications in experimental field of Agicutural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center of Guilan Province (Kanroud research station of Astara), Iran, during 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons. Four level of irrigation regimes: no irrigation (rainfed condition), supplementary irrigation at initial flowering stage, supplementary irrigation at pod formation stage and supplementary irrigation at initial flowering + pod formation stages and three levels of salicylic acid (SA): 100, 200 and 300 µmol/l comprised experimental treatments, as main and sub plot, respectively. Drought stress dercreased all measured characteristics in peanut and foliar application of SA at the rate of 300 µmol/l improved all studied characteristics under bath supplementary irrigation and rainfed condition. The greatest pods number per plant (51.57), grain yield (3450 kg/ha) and pod yield (4958 kg/ha) of peanut were obtained under supplementary irrigation at initial flowering + pod formation stages with SA and these agronomic traits increased 38.79, 70.8 and 57.6 percent compared to rainfed comdition, respectively. Results of this reaserch indicated, supplementary irrigation and foliar application of SA at the rate of 300 µmol/l could be recommendable to enhance plant growth and grain yield of peanut under similar climatic condition.