The Effect of Plant Conditioner Candidates on the Morphological and Physiological Parameters of the 'Rajnai fürtös' Cucumber Cultivar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17108/ActAgrOvar.2026.67.1.51Keywords:
cucumber, biostimulant, stress, PEG, hydroponicsAbstract
Improving crop tolerance to abiotic stress is increasingly important under changing climatic conditions. This study evaluated three plant conditioner candidates (No. 2, 9 and 10) in the cucumber cultivar ‘Rajnai fürtös’ grown under controlled hydroponic conditions. Plants were cultivated either in a complete nutrient solution or in a half-strength solution. Conditioner products were applied as weekly foliar sprays from weeks 4 to 10, and sampling was performed at weeks 6, 8 and 10. Water deprivation stress was imposed by polyethylene glycol (PEG) only prior to the final harvest. Stomatal conductance, net photosynthesis, relative chlorophyll content (SPAD), absolute chlorophyll content and specific leaf area were determined on the fully developed leaf, and shoot/root length, fresh biomass and root volume were also measured. Overall, the tested candidates showed limited efficacy; most traits did not differ significantly from the control under non-stress conditions. For underwater deprivation stress, candidate No. 2 partially mitigated the decline in gas-exchange parameters, whereas candidate No. 9 increased the number of flowers.
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