Vol. 40 No. 3 (2026):
Articles

Foliar applications of ferulic acid and salicylic acid improve growth, bioactive compounds, and fruit quality in tomato

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  • Y.S. Fornasier,
  • R.M. Maia Filho,
  • J.C.L. da Silva,
  • K.D. Spera,
  • P.C. Santos,
  • M.P. da Silva,
  • P.H. Gorni
Y.S. Fornasier
Department of Agronomy, Escola Superior de Agronomia de Paraguaçu Paulista (ESAPP), 19700-059 Paraguaçu Paulista, SP, Brazil.
R.M. Maia Filho
Department of Agronomy, Escola Superior de Agronomia de Paraguaçu Paulista (ESAPP), 19700-059 Paraguaçu Paulista, SP, Brazil.
J.C.L. da Silva
Department of Agronomy, Escola Superior de Agronomia de Paraguaçu Paulista (ESAPP), 19700-059 Paraguaçu Paulista, SP, Brazil.
K.D. Spera
Department of Agronomy, Escola Superior de Agronomia de Paraguaçu Paulista (ESAPP), 19700-059 Paraguaçu Paulista, SP, Brazil.
P.C. Santos
Department of Agronomy, Escola Superior de Agronomia de Paraguaçu Paulista (ESAPP), 19700-059 Paraguaçu Paulista, SP, Brazil.
M.P. da Silva
Department of Agronomy, Escola Superior de Agronomia de Paraguaçu Paulista (ESAPP), 19700-059 Paraguaçu Paulista, SP, Brazil.
P.H. Gorni
Department of Agronomy, Escola Superior de Agronomia de Paraguaçu Paulista (ESAPP), 19700-059 Paraguaçu Paulista, SP, Brazil.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-20141
Categories

Published 2026-09-30

Keywords

  • Elicitors,
  • nutritional quality,
  • phenolic compounds,
  • Solanum lycopersicum,
  • sustainable agriculture

How to Cite

Fornasier, Y. S., Maia Filho, R. M., da Silva, J. C. L., Spera, K. D., e Santos, P. C., da Silva, M. P., & Gorni, P. H. (2026). Foliar applications of ferulic acid and salicylic acid improve growth, bioactive compounds, and fruit quality in tomato. Advances in Horticultural Science, 40(3), 323–333. https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-20141

Copyright (c) 2026 Ygor Santos Fornasier, Rodnei Moreira Maia Filho, João César Lourencetti da Silva, Kamille Daleck Spera, Pamela Cristina e Santos, Mateus Pereira da Silva, Pedro Henrique Gorni

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

Ferulic acid (FA) and salicylic acid (SA) are phenolic compounds with recognized potential as metabolic elicitors in plants. This study evaluated the effects of exogenous application of FA and SA (0.5 mmol L⁻¹), applied individually or in combination, on the morphophysiological and biochemical responses of tomato cv. Santa Clara. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using plants cultivated in pots. Morphophysiological evaluations included growth and yield parameters, while biochemical analyses comprised photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars, and phenolic compounds in the fruits. FA increased chlorophyll content and soluble sugars, whereas SA enhanced the accumulation of polyphenols and flavonoids. The combined application of FA+SA led to greater increases in leaf area, plant height, fruit number, fruit diameter, and biomass production, particularly root dry mass. In addition, the combined treatment improved the accumulation of bioactive compounds associated with fruit nutritional quality. Overall, the results indicate that FA and SA, particularly when applied together, represent a promising strategy to enhance tomato growth, productivity, and fruit quality under protected cultivation conditions.

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