A Review on the Beneficial Role of Silicon against Salinity in Non-Accumulator Crops: Tomato as a Model

Abstract

Salinity is an abiotic stress that affects agriculture by severely impacting crop growth and, consequently, final yield. Considering that sea levels rise at an alarming rate of >3 mm per year, it is clear that salt stress constitutes a top-ranking threat to agriculture. Among the economically important crops that are sensitive to high salinity is tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), a cultivar that is more affected by salt stress than its wild counterparts. A strong body of evidence in the literature has proven the beneficial role of the quasi-essential metalloid silicon (Si), which increases the vigor and protects plants against (a)biotic stresses. This protection is realized by precipitating in the cell walls as opaline silica that constitutes a mechanical barrier to the entry of phytopathogens. With respect to Si accumulation, tomato is classified as a non-accumulator (an excluder), similarly to other members of the nightshade family, such as tobacco. Despite the low capacity of accumulating Si, when supplied to tomato plants, the metalloid improves growth under (a)biotic stress conditions, e.g., by enhancing the yield of fruits or by improving vegetative growth through the modulation of physiological parameters. In light of the benefits of Si in crop protection, the available literature data on the effects of this metalloid in mitigating salt stress in tomato are reviewed with a perspective on its use as a biostimulant, boosting the production of fruits as well as their post-harvest stability.

Seed Priming with Silicon as a Potential to Increase Salt Stress Tolerance in Lathyrus odoratus

“…Under seawater treatments, the LWC and RWC of Lathyrus leaves decreased gradually with increasing seawater levels. Salts decrease the osmotic pressure in plant cells, so they have a negative effect on water uptake by plant roots [ 43 ]. Halo-priming treatments exhibited better leaf water status.…”

Silicon Nanoparticles Improve the Shelf Life and Antioxidant Status of Lilium

“…Silicon is one of the elements that is considered beneficial for plants; when applied, it induces a series of beneficial responses, such as greater growth and development, as well as tolerance to different conditions of both biotic and abiotic stress [26][27][28]. One of the characteristics of silicon that can influence shelf life is that once it penetrates and moves through a plant, it is deposited in the structures where transpiration occurs and becomes insoluble crystals [29].…”

Anthocyanins: Biosynthesis, Distribution, Ecological Role, and Use of Biostimulants to Increase Their Content in Plant Foods—A Review

“…In particular, biostimulants are distinguished from agrochemicals because they only influence the vigor of plants and have no direct action against pests or diseases. Rather, they uniquely facilitate the uptake of existing and applied nutrients [204], resistance to abiotic stress such as salinity [6,11,100,205,206], temperature [2,13,[207][208][209][210][211], or drought [208,[212][213][214][215][216], following in an improvement of the final production also in adverse environmental conditions [1].…”