Statistical programs are essential tools for those who deal with scientific research and need to analyze experimental data. In agriculture, there are often uncontrolled factors, which determine the necessity of statistical analyses of the data. The Assistat software version 7.7 is one of these tools and this study aimed to demonstrate its functionality and efficiency in the analyses of experimental data of agricultural research and evaluate its acceptance. In order to exemplify its utilization, data of agricultural experiments were analyzed using the models of analysis of variance for randomized block and factorial experiments. In addition, the regression was used in the analysis of variance for quantitative treatments. It was concluded that the software was used in many papers published in journals and that it is functional and efficient in the analysis of experimental data of agricultural research. Key words: Analysis of variance (ANOVA), statistical software, Tukey's test.

The search for alternatives that enable the use of saline waters in agriculture has become constant. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the effects of salicylic acid in mitigating salt stress effects on the growth and gas exchange of soursop cv. ‘Morada Nova’. The study was conducted in a greenhouse, in the municipality of Campina Grande - PB, Brazil. Treatments were distributed in randomized blocks, in a 5 x 4 factorial arrangement, corresponding to five levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water - ECw (0.8; 1.6; 2.4; 3.2 and 4.0 dS m-1) and four concentrations of salicylic acid - SA (0; 1.2; 2.4 and 3.6 mM), with three replicates. Irrigation with saline water compromised the growth and gas exchange of soursop cv. ‘Morada Nova’. However, exogenous application of salicylic acid induced tolerance to salt stress in soursop plants, as their growth, transpiration, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency were favored by the application of salicylic acid, even when exposed to water salinity.

The availability of water with low electrical conductivity for irrigation in the Northeastern semi-arid region is one of the limiting factors for the expansion of irrigated agriculture. Thus, it is necessary to use waters with high electrical conductivity, requiring the search for strategies to reduce the negative impacts of salts on plants. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the morphophysiology and production of guava cv. Paluma subjected to irrigation with saline waters and foliar application of salicylic acid after grafting. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions in Campina Grande - PB, Brazil, in a randomized block design, adopting a 2 × 4 factorial scheme, with two values of electrical conductivity of irrigation water - ECw (0.6 and 3.2 dS m-1) and four concentrations of salicylic acid (0, 1.2, 2.4 and 3.6 mM), with three replicates. Irrigation with water of 3.2 dS m-1 reduced gas exchange, rootstock and scion diameters, crown diameter and volume, vegetative vigor index, polar and equatorial diameters of fruit, number of fruits, mean fruit weight, and fresh fruit weight of fruits of guava cv. Paluma. Salicylic acid application up to 3.6 mM did not mitigate the effects of salt stress on grafted guava cv. Paluma, at 390 days after transplanting.

The cultivation of irrigated soursop in semiarid Northeastern Brazil highlights the need for information regarding its responses to the salinity of irrigation water and the use of techniques that allow its exploration, such as the use of hydrogen peroxide. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the effect of soaking of seeds and foliar application of hydrogen peroxide on soursop plant growth and physiology under conditions of salt stress. The study was conducted in lysimeters in a greenhouse, and the treatments were distributed in a randomized block design and 4 × 4 factorial scheme, with four values of electrical conductivity of the irrigation water - ECw (0.7, 1.7, 2.7, and 3.7 dS m-1) and four concentrations of H2O2 (0, 25, 50, and 75 μM), with three replicates and one plant per plot. H2O2 concentrations were applied via seed imbibition and foliar spray. Irrigation with water from 0.7 dS m-1 impairs gas exchange and absolute growth rates of plant height and stem diameter and relative growth rate in height of soursop plants. Concentrations of 35, 33 and 23 µM of hydrogen peroxide favored the relative and absolute growth rates of plant height and transpiration, respectively. Compared to the aerial part, the root of soursop plants is more affected when irrigated with water from 1.6 dS m-1.

This study aimed to evaluate the gas exchanges and photosynthetic pigments of soursop seedlings cv. ‘Morada Nova’ irrigated with saline waters and subjected to exogenous application of hydrogen peroxide by seed soaking and foliar spraying. The study was carried out using plastic bags under greenhouse conditions at the Center of Technology and Natural Resources of the Federal University of Campina Grande, PB, Brazil, using a eutrophic Regolithic Neosol of sandy loam texture. Treatments were arranged in a randomized block design, in 5 x 5 factorial scheme, which consisted of five levels of electrical conductivity – ECw (0.7; 1.4; 2.1; 2.8 and 3.5 dS m^-1) of irrigation water and five concentrations of hydrogen peroxide - H₂O₂ (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 µM), with four replicates and three plants per plot. As the salt stress increased, there were reductions in internal CO₂ concentration, instantaneous carboxylation efficiency and water use efficiency, and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency was the most sensitive variable. Hydrogen peroxide at concentrations of 25 and 50 µM attenuated the deleterious effects of water salinity on stomatal conductance, CO₂ assimilation rate and chlorophyll a content, and the concentration of 25 µM was the most efficient. The content of chlorophyll b and carotenoids of soursop cv. ‘Morada Nova’ had the deleterious effects caused by the salinity of irrigation water mitigated by the exogenous application of hydrogen peroxide in the concentration of 25 μM.