Salt Stress of Jeursalim Artichoke Plants in Relation to The Pre-soaking Tubers with Hydrogen Peroxide

Abstract: Two main experiments were carried out during the growing seasons 2018 and 2019 on Jerusalem artichoke cv. Fuseau at the Soil Salinity Laboratory Research, Agricultural Research Center, Alexandria, Egypt. This investigation is being proposed to assess the advantages of H2O2-soaked tubers and salt stress exposure on growth, yield components, quality and tubers' elemental composition. Tubers were planted in cemented-butaminzed lysimeters (2*2*1m) in rows, 80 cm in wide and 2 m in length. The treatments were comprised of two variables in split-plot design with three replicates. Four levels of saline irrigation water were prepared by mixing the fresh tap and sea waters, to create salt concentrations of 500 (control), 2000, 3500 and 5000mg/L, then, were arranged in the main plots. Whereas, three levels of H2O2 – soaking tubers before planting (control, 100 and 200mM) were arranged in the sub plots. The H2O2- treated tubers were seeded in the cemented lysimeters, in rows of 80cm in width, 2m in length. At the flowering growth stage, characteristics of vegetative growth were registered and finally at the harvest stage, yield, yield components and quality as well as the elemental tubers composition, including N, P and K% were recorded. The results showed that increasing the salinity levels of irrigation water up to 5000 mg/L negatively affected most of the growth characteristics (plant height, plant fresh weight). It also led to a decrease in the yield of tubers (the number of tubers per plant - the average weight of a tuber (g) and the total yield / fad. (tons) . The results also showed that the increase in the salinity of irrigation water led to exhibited marked reductions in the tuber concentration content of elements N, P and K% as well as carbohydrate and inulin% during the two growing seasons. The data also revealed positive effects of 100mM H2O2 – soaked tubers on vegetative growth criteria and yield performance. Similar trend was achieved on carbohydrate, inulin tuber content and N% of tuber only in the first season of this study. The interaction study revealed that there are no marked significant variation appeared for the vegetative growth criteria during the respective seasons. The results detected on plant height and yield components indicated that growth performance was clearly manifested for the combined treatment of 100 mM H2O2-treated tubers and salinity exposure, defined from 500 up to 2000 mg/L. Similar trend was also registered on carbohydrate, inulin and only N% contents of tubers. In conclusion, it seems possibly, in particular under saline conditions, soaking the tuber in 100 mM H2O2 before planting for 2h would be essential to avoid the harmful effect of salt exposure and to achieve better records on yield component and quality and elemental composition content in tubers.