Table 3 Water stress levels and salicylic acid concentrations influence on morpho-phenological (growth, fruit set, and number of fruits per tree) parameters of Washington navel orange trees (2021–2022 seasons)

62.76^a

19.36^a

176.40^a

80.82^a

8.60^a

147.87^a

51.43^b

17.75^b

143.91^b

78.20^a

6.88^b

111.67^b

40.56^c

16.05^c

113.33^c

61.50^b

5.08^c

73.80^c

46.91^d

16.86^c

128.63^d

68.49^c

6.10^c

97.04^d

50.33^c

17.46^b

142.25^c

72.44^b

6.60^b

105.58^c

53.31^b

18.06^a

150.91^b

76.17^a

7.22^a

116.44^b

55.80^a

18.49^a

156.38^a

76.92^a

7.48^a

125.40^a

57.28^e

18.33^c

152.79^cd

78.31^ab

7.41^c

131.38^c

62.26^b

19.34^b

176.32^b

79.15^ab

8.31^b

144.78^b

65.53^a

19.81^a

186.64^a

82.23^a

9.22^a

156.99^a

65.98^a

19.96^a

189.85^a

83.57^a

9.45^a

158.35^a

45.68^f

17.24^de

133.71^f

75.27^b

6.35^e

97.69^e

49.13^e

17.45^d

140.12^ef

79.37^ab

6.63^e

104.06^de

52.37^d

17.63^d

144.79^de

79.38^ab

7.03^d

110.87^d

58.56^c

18.66^c

157.00^c

78.78^ab

7.50^c

134.03^c

37.76^h

15.01^h

99.38ⁱ

51.90^e

4.55^g

62.03^g

39.59^h

15.58^g

110.32^h

58.79^d

4.86^g

67.90^g

42.02^g

16.75^f

121.32^g

66.90^c

5.42^f

81.46^f

42.86^g

16.86^ef

122.29^g

68.41^c

5.48^f

83.81^f

80.99^a

22.24^a

184.79^a

85.28^a

12.02^a

184.03^a

66.07^b

19.95^b

148.68^b

77.16^b

10.72^b

139.42^b

49.30^c

16.79^c

117.12^c

62.04^c

7.84^c

90.58^c

58.97^d

18.58^c

133.75^d

69.14^c

9.44^c

117.47^d

63.27^c

19.45^b

143.14^c

73.25^b

10.03^b

129.57^c

67.64^b

20.02^a

158.97^b

78.96^a

10.52^a

148.37^b

71.93^a

20.61^a

164.94^a

77.96^a

10.78^a

156.63^a

73.74^c

20.80^b

166.86^c

81.88^b

11.55^b

166.50^c

79.58^b

22.25^a

180.03^b

85.15^ab

11.88^ab

180.90^b

84.79^a

22.91^a

194.55^a

87.07^a

12.29^a

193.07^a

85.84^a

23.00^a

197.74^a

87.03^a

12.36^a

195.64^a

59.24^e

18.93^d

133.74^ef

68.94^d

9.78^e

111.35^f

63.01^d

19.72^c

137.29^e

73.86^c

10.39^d

125.64^e

66.25^d

19.91^c

155.24^d

84.07^ab

11.07^c

150.35^d

75.78^c

21.24^b

168.43^c

81.78^b

11.63^b

170.34^c

43.93^g

16.00^f

100.64^h

56.60^g

6.99^h

74.57^h

47.21^g

16.39^f

112.10^g

60.72^f

7.82^g

82.17^h

51.87^f

17.23^e

127.12^f

65.75^de

8.19^fg

101.67^g

54.17^f

17.57^e

128.64^f

65.07^e

8.35^f

103.92^fg