Role of silicon in counteracting abiotic and biotic plant stresses

Abstract

Food security has been a major concern in India so to fulfil the nutritional needs of the people, numerous attempts are being made to defeat hunger. Since ages, the use of pesticides is thought of as an immediate solution to increase crop productivity but this strategy is leading to a drastic environmental stresses faced both by man and plants. So the need of the hour is to rely on eco-friendly approaches so as to be in harmony with nature. One of such approach is use of Silicon in our agricultural practices to combat various stresses as Silicon is continuously gaining serious attention since last few years due to its abundance and non-hazardous nature. Silicon nutrition is found to be helpful in abating many abiotic stresses including physical stresses such as drought, high temperature, flood, lodging, freezing, UV-radiation and chemical stresses such as salt, metal toxicity and nutrient deficiency. In context of biotic stresses, Silicon provides resistance to plants against diseases either due to an accumulation of absorbed Silicon in the epidermal tissue, or expression of pathogenesis-induced host defence responses. A better molecular understanding of Si uptake in plants is important to maximize the benefits derived from Silicon fertilization.