Silicon Drought Stress Physiology
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Project title: |
Influence of silicon on physiological drought resistance processes of important crops |
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Duration: |
2023-2026 |
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Funding: |
Justus Liebig University (JLU) |
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Staff involved: |
Dr. Tabea Selzer, Prof. Dr. Jakob Santner |
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Silicon (Si) is not considered an essential element for plant nutrition. However, many studies have shown under different environmental conditions that the application of silicon can improve the yield and quality of crops under biotic and abiotic stress conditions (Figure 1). Due to the consequences of anthropogenic climate change, the frequency and intensity of drought events will increase in the future. Therefore, improving the drought stress resistance of different cereals is one of the biggest challenges in agriculture. Silicon could play an important role in improving drought resistance. However, the exact physiological mechanisms underlying the improvement of drought resistance are not yet known. The aim of this project is therefore to investigate these mechanisms in more detail. The focus is (1) on physiological changes in the leaves as a result of Si application under drought stress and (2) how these changes (e.g. the formation of phytoliths, Figure 2) contribute to increasing drought stress resistance. |
Figure 1 Schematic overview of the positive effect of silicon on physiological variables under biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Coskun et al. (2019) |
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Figure 2 Schematic display of (1) silicon uptake at the root, transport of silicon in the plant, and (2) deposition as silica (SiO2) in the leaf. Selzer (unpublished) based on Sheng & Chen (2020), Sheng et al. (2023) and Ma & Yamaji (2006). |
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Literature: Coskun D, Deshmukh R, Sonah H, Menzies JG, Reynolds O, Ma JF, Kronzucker HJ, Bélanger RR, 2019. The controversies of silicon‘s role in plant biology. New Phytologist 221:67-85. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15343 |
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