Salicylic acid treatment via the rooting medium interferes with stomatal response, CO 2 fixation rate and carbohydrate metabolism in tomato, and decreases harmful effects of subsequent salt stress

Salicylic acid (SA) applied at 10 −3   m in hydroponic culture decreased stomatal conductance (g s ), maximal CO 2 fixation rate (A max ) and initial slopes of the CO 2 (A/C i ) and light response (A/PPFD) curves, carboxylation efficiency of Rubisco (CE) and photosynthetic quantum efficiency (Q), resulting in the death of tomato plants. However, plants could acclimate to lower concentrations of SA (10 −7 −10 −4   m ) and, after 3 weeks, returned to control levels of g s , photosynthetic performance and soluble sugar content. In response to high salinity (100 m m NaCl), the pre‐treated plants exhibited higher A max as a function of internal CO 2 concentration (C i ) or photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), and higher CE and Q values than salt‐treated controls, suggesting more effective photosynthesis after SA treatment. Growth in 10 −7 or 10 −4   m SA‐containing solution led to accumulation of soluble sugars in both leaf and root tissues, which remained higher in both plant parts during salt stress at 10 −4   m SA. The activity of hexokinase (HXK) with glucose, but not fructose, as substrate was reduced by SA treatment in leaf and root samples, leading to accumulation of glucose and fructose in leaf tissues. HXK activity decreased further under high salinity in both plant organs. The accumulation of soluble sugars and sucrose in roots of plants growing in the presence of 10 −4   m SA contributed to osmotic adjustment and improved tolerance to subsequent salt stress. Apart from its putative role in delaying senescence, decreased HXK activity may divert hexoses from catabolic reactions to osmotic adaptation.