Silicon-Mediated Improvement in Tolerance of Economically Important Crops Under Drought Stress

Abstract

Drought is considered as one of the significant threats to food security worldwide as it inhibits the growth, yield and quality of economically important crops. An increase in crop yield is considered a tremendous achievement as it will be helpful to meet the current growing demand for food in droughtstressed areas. Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant component in the soil. Recent research has revealed that Si can enhance plant tolerance against drought stress. In addition, application of Si can increase seed germination, underground and aboveground biomass, photosynthetic pigments, quality and yield of grains. Therefore, we have summarized the importance of Si in improving the drought tolerance in plants. Furthermore, we have explained the Si-mediated mechanisms which led to modifications in gas exchange properties, homeostasis of the nutrient element, synthesis of compatible solute, osmotic adjustments, antioxidant stimulation and enzymatic action in plants under drought stress. We believe that the current study will help in understanding the importance of Si application in plants under drought stress conditions.

Combined application of zinc and silicon alleviates terminal drought stress in wheat by triggering morpho-physiological and antioxidants defense mechanisms

“…Silicon application have been proved effective in reducing and mitigating the harmful effects of several abiotic stress on plants, including drought, salinity, heavy metals and high temperature [ 21 , 22 , 24 ]. Moreover, Si application under drought stress maintained water status of plant leaves and increased photosynthetic activity of maize crop [ 25 ]. Exogenous application of Si can make the silica-cuticle binary layer on the leaf epidermal tissue and it improved tissue water status in wheat crop [ 26 , 27 ].…”

Diversity of microbial communities and soil nutrients in sugarcane rhizosphere soil under water soluble fertilizer

“…In order to understand the microbial differences among WS1, WS2 and CK, DESeq2 package in the R (version 3.2.2) was adopted to investigate the different species of 16S and ITS at the OTUs level, and then used the Manhattan display according to Zhang et al [ 37 ] methods. A Pearson’s correlation analysis was calculated to determine the interaction between soil properties and microbial taxa (phylum), using R-software [ 38 ]. In order to assess the relationship between environmental factors and microbial community structure, a Mantel test was performed [ 39 ].…”

Sugarcane Mosaic Disease: Characteristics, Identification and Control

“…Good field management is another effective way to enhance plant resistance and reduce the spread of viruses. Specific measures include: (1) avoiding planting virus host crops around or in the sugarcane fields [ 188 ]; (2) the timely removal of infected plants and weeds; (3) improvement in soil structure, rational fertilization, and irrigation to promote plant growth and improve disease resistance [ 189 , 190 ]; (4) chemical and biological control of aphids [ 63 ]; and (5) fortifying cropping systems and paying attention to rotation with non-host crops, such as soybeans, sweet potatoes and peanuts [ 191 ].…”