Table 4 Water stress rates and salicylic acid concentrations influence on photosynthetic pigments and proline contents, cell sap osmotic pressure, opened stomata percentage and bound water content percentage of Washington navel orange leaves (2021–2022 seasons)

0.224^a

0.103^a

50.72^c

25.96^c

90.96^a

44.44^c

0.209^b

0.097^b

78.67^b

27.55^b

85.79^b

46.29^b

0.193^c

0.092^c

118.72^a

29.30^a

79.03^c

48.37^a

0.202^c

0.094^a

96.93^a

28.29^a

82.61^c

47.09^a

0.207^b

0.097^a

89.26^b

27.77^a

84.43^b

46.69^b

0.212^a

0.099^a

75.97^c

27.33^a

86.52^a

46.25^b

0.215^a

0.100^a

68.65^d

27.03^a

87.49^a

45.43^c

0.216^a

0.099^a

64.04^g

26.68^a

88.77^b

45.97^d

0.221^a

0.104^a

60.16^g

26.01^a

90.66^b

44.87^e

0.228^a

0.105^a

42.78^h

25.59^a

92.02^a

44.23^e

0.230^a

0.105^a

35.89ⁱ

25.56^a

92.40^a

43.42^f

0.203^a

0.095^a

92.09^d

28.38^a

82.36^c

46.61^c

0.207^a

0.096^a

82.63^e

27.89^a

84.18^c

46.27^c

0.211^a

0.098^a

76.87^f

27.38^a

87.35^b

46.19^c

0.216^a

0.100^a

63.06^g

26.55^a

89.29^b

45.23^d

0.188^a

0.089^a

134.65^a

29.80^a

76.69^e

49.31^a

0.192^a

0.092^a

125.00^b

29.42^a

78.45^e

49.01^a

0.196^a

0.094^a

108.25^c

29.02^a

80.19^d

48.55^b

0.197^a

0.094^a

106.99^c

28.96^a

80.77^d

46.74^c

0.225^a

0.103^a

43.98^c

26.72^c

91.67^a

43.45^c

0.212^b

0.096^b

82.47^b

28.79^b

86.09^b

44.56^b

0.197^c

0.091^c

125.70^a

30.69^a

81.32^c

46.49^a

0.205^c

0.094^a

101.22^a

29.54^a

83.54^c

45.77^a

0.209^b

0.096^a

90.26^b

28.98^a

85.45^b

45.38^a

0.214^a

0.098^a

77.18^c

28.44^a

87.78^a

44.43^b

0.216^a

0.100^a

67.53^d

27.96^a

88.67^a

43.75^c

0.216^a

0.099^a

58.83^g

27.73^e

88.19^c

44.32^c

0.224^a

0.102^a

47.64^h

27.02^e

91.51^b

44.21^c

0.229^a

0.105^a

37.31ⁱ

26.18^f

93.40^a

43.06^d

0.230^a

0.106^a

32.14ⁱ

25.95^f

93.56^a

42.14^e

0.207^a

0.094^a

102.87^d

29.56^c

84.46^e

44.91^c

0.210^a

0.095^a

94.36^e

29.15^c

84.77^e

44.50^c

0.213^a

0.097^a

75.83^f

28.79^d

86.41^d

44.36^c

0.218^a

0.100^a

56.81^g

27.64^e

88.72^c

44.30^c

0.192^a

0.090^a

141.96^a

31.33^a

77.95^h

47.84^a

0.194^a

0.091^a

128.79^b

30.78^b

80.07^g

47.33^a

0.200^a

0.092^a

118.40^c

30.35^b

83.54^f

45.86^b

0.201^a

0.093^a

113.64^c

30.28^b

83.72^f

45.17^b