Silicon: Its ameliorative effect on plant defense against herbivory.

Plants protect themselves against pest attack utilizing both direct and indirect modes of defense. The direct mode of defense includes morphological, biochemical, and molecular barriers that affect feeding, growth, and survival of herbivores whereas the indirect mode of defense includes release of a blend of volatiles that invites natural enemies of the pests. Both of these strategies adopted by plants are reinforced if the plants are supplied with one of the most abundant metalloids, silicon (Si). Plants absorb Si [as Si(OH)4] and accumulate it as phytoliths, which strengthens their physical defense. This deposition of Si in plant tissue is upregulated upon pest attack. Further, Si deposited in the apoplast, suppresses effector molecules of pests. Additionally, Si upregulates the expression of defense-related genes and proteins and their activity and enhances the accumulation of secondary metabolites, boosting induced molecular and biochemical defenses. Moreover, Si plays a crucial role in phytohormone-mediated direct and indirect defense mechanisms. Si is also involved in the reduction of harmful effects of oxidative stress caused due to herbivory by accelerating its scavenging process. Despite increasing evidence of its multiple roles in defense against pests, the practical implications of Si for crop protection have received less attention. Here, we highlight the recent developments in Si-mediated improved plant resistance against pests and its significance for future use in crop improvement.

• Publication year

  2020

• Venue

  Journal of Experimental Botany

• Publication date

  2020-06-27

• Fields of study

  Biology, Agricultural and Food Sciences, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1093/jxb/eraa300PMID 32591824
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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