Stress Oxidative Evaluation on SiK®-Supplemented Castanea sativa Mill. Plants Growing Under High Temperature

Abstract

The protective effect of silicon (Si) against environmental stress has been observed in many crops. The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of SiK® (potassium silicate) fertilization on the resilience capacity of chestnut plants growing under high air temperature conditions and their recovery capacity after a turnover to adequate temperatures. Castanea sativa plants were supplied with 0 mM, 5 mM, 7.5 mM, and 10 mM SiK® and exposed sequentially to 25°C, 32°C, and 25°C for 1 month each. Data suggested that silicon are involved in increasing the heat tolerance of chestnut plants by reducing the oxidative damage and improving the antioxidant enzymes and metabolites. Under heat stress (32°C), there was an increase in the catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and peroxidase activities, as well as in the phenol content of supplemented plants, which consequently reduced the electrolyte leakage, lipid peroxidation, and hydrogen peroxide content. Additionally, a lower proline content was measured inside the leaves' tissues of Si-treated plants. Besides the resilience against heat stress, after exposure to 32°C, the recovery was also quick.

Influence of Climate Change on Chestnut Trees: A Review

“…In the case of chestnut species, silicon has been studied to protect the plant from extreme events. Silicon is recognized as a fertilizer, bio-stimulating plant protection under environmental stress, which activates the plant’s latent tolerance mechanisms [ 79 ]. This compound confers resistance to plants under biotic stress conditions through the combination of a physical and chemical defense system that improves resilience at morphological, physiological, and biochemical levels [ 80 ].…”

“…More specifically, silicon plays an important structural and protective role in the plant’s protection, with low energy costs due to the increase in the rigidity and abrasiveness (increase in the resistance of xylem vessels to drought and heat) of the vegetal tissues [ 37 ]. According to [ 79 ], plants treated with silicon showed better-recovering capacity when resubmitted to the new period of optimal temperature (25 °C) after the warm period (32 °C). Additionally, Boron is a plant compound that is affected by warmer temperatures and rainfall.…”

Heat stress and recovery effects on the physiology and biochemistry of Castanea sativa Mill.

“…) glucoside-7-O-rhamnoside and hyperoside] accumulated in roots and were associated with inhibition of polar auxin transport (PAT) in roots (Yin et al, 2014). Phenolic accumulation, especially of compounds with antioxidant functions, has been reported as frequent when applying abiotic stress and may occur as an adaptive mechanism (Rivero et al, 2001;Zandalinas et al, 2017;Bhattacharya and Kundu, 2020;Carneiro-Carvalho et al, 2021).…”

“…Little is known about the response of C. sativa to heat stress or whether contrasting climate habitats involve differential responses to higher temperatures. The efficacy of fertilizers in chestnut tolerance to high temperatures (Carneiro-Carvalho et al, 2021) and the effect of temperature (Gomes-Laranjo et al, 2006) on some chestnut cultivars has been studied. However, no studies addressed the effects of high temperatures on the physiology and biochemistry of this species.…”

Metalaxyl-M, phosphorous acid and potassium silicate applied as soil drenches show different chestnut seedling performance and protection against Phytophthora root rot

“…Metalaxyl, phosphites (salts of phosphorous acid) and phosphonates (phosphite esters) have been the most commonly used substances for the chemical control of Phytophthora, both in chestnut (Cohen & Coffey, 1986;Guest et al, 1995;Stein & Kirk, 2002) and in several other fruit tree species (Akinsanmi & Drenth, 2013;Masikane et al, 2020;Nyoni et al, 2019;Türkölmez & Derviş, 2017). Potassium silicate has become increasingly important in agriculture as a biostimulant capable of helping plants to cope with abiotic and biotic stresses (Carneiro-Carvalho et al, 2020;Savvas & Ntatsi, 2015) and is now recognized as a useful tool to be used against Phytophthora (Bekker et al, 2014).…”