Foliar spray of silica improved water stress tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a major cereal crop and a staple food across the world, mainly in developing countries. Drought is one of the most important limiting factors for rice production, which negatively affects food security worldwide. Silica enhances antioxidant activity and reduces oxidative damage in plants. The current study evaluated the efficiency of foliar spray of silica in alleviating water stress of three rice cultivars (Giza178, Sakha102, and Sakha107). The seedlings of the three cultivars were foliar sprayed with 200 or 400 mg l-1 silica under well-watered [80% water holding capacity (WHC)] and drought-stressed (40% WHC)] conditions for two summer seasons of 2019 and 2020. The obtained results demonstrated that drought stress caused significant decreases in growth, yield, and physiological parameters but increases in biochemical parameters (except proline) of leaves in all rice cultivars compared to well-irrigated plants (control). The roots of drought-stressed seedlings exhibited smaller diameters, fewer numbers, and narrower areas of xylem vessels compared to those well-watered. Regardless of its concentration, the application of silica was found to increase the contents of photosynthetic pigments and proline. Water relation also increased in seedlings of the three tested rice cultivars that were treated with silica in comparison to their corresponding control cultivars when no silica was sprayed. Foliar application of 400 mg l-1 silica improved the physiological and biochemical parameters and plant growth. Overall, foliar application of silica proved to be beneficial for mitigating drought stress in the tested rice cultivars, among which Giza178 was the most drought-tolerant cultivar. The integration of silica in breeding programs is recommended to improve the quality of yield and to provide drought-tolerant rice cultivars under drought-stress conditions.

Growth and Physiological Study of Gamma-Induced M4 Black Rice in Stress Condition

“…This is due to water limitations under stress conditions so that during growth, the results of their metabolism are more focused on roots to survive drought stress [18]. The research results by Pipai [19] treatments without stress and drought stress gave significant and significantly different results on the weight of plant parts, including grain. Grain weight without stress has a higher weight than stress because the supply of photosynthesis needs is not disturbed in normal water conditions, while under stress conditions, the formation of assimilated substances to fill the grain is inhibited.…”

Silicon Improved Water Stress Tolerance in Rice Genotypes

“…Drought is one of the most catastrophic climate catastrophes that endangers global agricultural productivity [15]. Water deprivation prevents cell development, which leads to short stems, shorter internodal lengths, weakened root systems, and reduced tillering capacity [27].…”

“…Different cereal crops have different adaptive reactions to deal with drought [33] To counteract the negative impacts of drought stress, plants exhibit a variety of morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular characteristics [12]. Some of the physiological systems involved in a plant's reaction to drought stress conditions include cell and tissue water preservation, cell membrane stability, and endogenously produced growth regulators [15]. Plants modify gene expression at the molecular level to counteract the potentially harmful consequences of decreased water supply.…”

The effect of using fresh farmyard manure (animal manure) on the severity of Fusarium verticilioides in soil, root, stem, and kernels as well as lodging and borer incidence of maize plants

“…(2016) showed that organic soil amendments stimulate antagonistic activities of microorganisms to soil-borne diseases and decomposition of organic matter in the soil, which resulted in bioactive antifungal or nematicidal compounds accumulation in the soil. Soils treated with a high level of organic matter reduced the Fusarium rot root index, and improved yields occurred ( Naseri, 2014 ; El-Saadony et al, 2021a ; Abd El-Aty et al, 2022b ; El-Ashry et al, 2022 ; El-Marzoky et al, 2022 ; El-Okkiah et al, 2022a ).…”