Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of silver thiosulfate(STS) in reducing $O_3$ injury to tomato plants(Lycopersicon esculentm Mill. 'Pink Glory'). Two days prior to $O_3$ fumigation, plants were given a foliar spray of STS solution at concentrations of 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 mM contained with 0.05% Tween-20. STS concentrations below 0.6 mM were significantly effective in providing protection aginst $O_3$ exposure(16 h at 0.3 ppm). STS reduced leaf injury rate, defoliation of cotyledons, ethylene production and degree of epinasty induced by $O_3$ injury. STS slightly increased ethylene production in non-$O_3$-fumigated plants, but changes of chlorophyll content and transpiration rate on a whole plant basis were not observed. In $O_3$-fumigated plants, STS treatment reduced chlorophyll destruction but did not affect transpiration rate. STS treatment seemed not to affect peroxidase(POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in non-fumigated plants but reduced increasing activity of POD by $O_3$ fumigation. However, such an effect as above was not found in SOD activity. Even though enzymatic protection effects were not confirmed, the fact that reduction of acute injury rate was attained for 16 h fumigation indicates that the phytoprotective effects of STS are not necessarily related to blocking the action of strees-induced-ethylene as an anti-ethylene agent.
