Silicon in the form of nanosilica mitigates P toxicity in scarlet eggplant

Abstract

Intensive fertilization of vegetables can promote phosphorus (P) toxicity. However, it can be reversed using silicon (Si), although there is a lack of research clarifying its mechanisms of action. This research aims to study the damage caused by P toxicity to scarlet eggplant plants and whether Si can mitigate this toxicity. We evaluated the nutritional and physiological aspects of plants. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design of two nutritional levels of adequate P (2 mmol L−1 of P) and toxic/excess P (8 to 13 mmol L−1 of P) combined with the absence or presence of nanosilica (2 mmol L−1 Si) in a nutrient solution. There were six replications. The excess P in the nutrient solution caused damage to scarlet eggplant growth due to nutritional losses and oxidative stress. We found that P toxicity can be mitigated by supplying Si, which decreases P uptake by 13%, improves C:N homeostasis, and increases iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) use efficiency by 21%, 10%, and 12%, respectively. At the same time, it decreases oxidative stress and electrolyte leakage by 18% and increases antioxidant compounds (phenols and ascorbic acid by 13% and 50%, respectively), and decreases photosynthetic efficiency and plant growth by 12% (by increasing 23% and 25% of shoot and root dry mass, respectively). These findings allow us to explain the different Si mechanisms used to reverse the damage caused by P toxicity to plants.

Silicon mitigates K deficiency in maize by modifying C, N, and P stoichiometry and nutritional efficiency

“…Silicon promotes a better P status in K-deficient plants by increasing the efficiency of P uptake in maize plants, as there are reports that this beneficial element increases the activity of P transporters in plants (TaPHT1;1 and TaPHT1;2) 36 . A study on scarlet eggplant plants also found that silicon reduced the C:N ratio under stress conditions caused by phosphorus toxicity 47 . Similarly, in sugarcane plants experiencing water deficit, applying Si also reduced the C:N ratio 19 , 20 , 41 .…”

Comparative Analysis of Different Potassium Treatments on the Foliar Nutrient Composition of Hydroponically Grown Eggplant (Solanum melongena) in High-Tech Greenhouse

“…However, this resulted in the lower Fe: Zn and Fe: Mn ratios (Wyskowski & Brodowska, 2021). Higher accumulation of micronutrients in the leaf of eggplant can lead to toxicity (Alves et al, 2023), which ultimately reduces the balanced growth and performance of the plant. Moreover, the nutrient content of eggplant leaves varies with different growth stages.…”