“…Si deposition patterns within plant tissues led to the hypothesis of mechanical or physical barriers to insect feeding, as silica makes plant tissues difficult for insects to efficiently chew, penetrate and digest. In addition, silica’s beneficial roles in plant physiology, regulation of defence-related enzymes, plant hormone signalling and alteration of plant volatile blends elucidate the association of Si with biochemical/molecular defence mechanisms ([ 15 , 20 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]; Figure 1 ).…”