Abstract Silicon is widely recognized as a beneficial element for plant growth. Numerous studies have shown the beneficial effects of silicon, particularly under stress conditions. For the efficient exploration of silicon derived benefits, understanding silicon uptake mechanism, subsequent transport and accumulation in different tissues is essential. Here, a thorough review of reports describing how plants benefit from silicon supplementation was performed to provide comprehensive and clear insights. The molecular mechanism involved in silicon transport has been discussed and highlighted the knowledge gap, particularly the xylem unloading and transport in heavily silicified cells. Silicification of plant tissues like sclerenchyma, fibers, storage tissues, epidermal, and vascular tissues have been described. Silicon deposition in different cell-types, tissues, and intercellular spaces impacting morphological and physiological status found to be associated with enhanced plant resilience under various stresses. The beneficial impact of silicon deposition under various biotic and abiotic stresses has been addressed in detail. Among the mechanisms discussed here to explain silicon derived benefits, most profoundly observed includes interference in physiological processes, modulation of stress responses, and biochemical interactions. Understanding different mechanisms specific to silicon deposition in tissues, developmental stages, and environmental factors will be helpful to elucidate the versatile role of silicon in plants.

Silicon (Si), a beneficial element for plants, is known for its prophylactic effect under stress conditions. Many studies have documented the role of biogenic silica (bulk-Si) in alleviating biotic and...

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Histochemistry is an essential analytical tool interfacing extensively with plant science. The literature is indeed constellated with examples showing its use to decipher specific physiological and developmental processes, as well as to study plant cell structures. Plant cell structures are translucent unless they are stained. Histochemistry allows the identification and localization, at the cellular level, of biomolecules and organelles in different types of cells and tissues, based on the use of specific staining reactions and imaging. Histochemical techniques are also widely used for the in-vivo localization of promoters in specific tissues, as well as to identify specific cell wall components such as lignin and polysaccharides. Histochemistry also enables the study of plants’ reactions to environmental constraints, for example, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be traced by applying histochemical staining techniques. The possibility of detecting ROS and localizing them at the cellular level is vital in establishing the mechanisms involved in the sensitivity and tolerance to different stress conditions in plants. This review comprehensively highlights the additional value of histochemistry as a complementary technique to high-throughput approaches for the study of the plant response to environmental constraints. Moreover, here we have provided and extensive survey of the available plant histochemical staining methods used for the localization of metals, minerals, secondary metabolites, cell wall components, as well as the detection of ROS production in plant cells. The use of recent technological advances like CRISPR/Cas9 based genome-editing for histological application is also addressed. This review also surveys the availale literature data on histochemical techniques used to study the response of plants to abiotic stresses and to identify the effects at the tissue and cell-level.