Cumulative effects of Lithovit-standard, monopotassium-phosphate and acetyl salicylic acid applied at different growth stage of tomato salt-stressed plants

In the current study, different combinations of three products (Lithovit-Standard: Litho, monopotassium-phosphate: MKP and acetyl salicylic acid: ASA) were tested on tomato plants irrigated with five saline solutions (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 dS/m). The aim was to determine the possible complementary effects of these products applied separately and in different sequence at vegetative (11DAT: days after transplantation), flowering (25DAT) and fruit formation (39DAT). Control salt-stress plants were not subjected to product application. The data showed that the combination Asp-Litho-MKP improved total chlorophyll content and reduced the most cell electrolyte leakage compared to control. ASP-MKP-Litho treatment improved fruit number by an average of three to four fruits compared to control at all EC levels and maximized weight of individual fruits under EC 2, 4, and 10 dS/m. Yields in plants treated with ASP-MKP-Litho were higher by almost two to three folds than those of control plants. Plants treated by ASP-MKP-Litho had the highest contents of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg at all ECs. It was concluded that the three products had complementary effects on salt-stressed tomato crop if applied in combination.