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Silicon and Its Application Methods Improve Physiological Traits and Antioxidants in Triticum aestivum (L.) Under Cadmium Stress

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Abstract

Plants are exposed to various abiotic stressors in agricultural systems, especially cadmium (Cd) stress, which hinders plant growth and development. The current study was conducted to assess the protective role of silicon (Si) application in two methods and to identify the optimum method of Si application for wheat plants grown hydroponically under the same levels of Cd stress. For this purpose, we used two different silicon (Si; 1 mmol L−1 Na2SiO3) application methods (i.e., root application and foliar spray) on growth, chlorophyll contents, cell membrane injury contents, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, and membrane permeability contents of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) against four levels of cadmium (Cd), normal, 50 μmol L−1, 100 μmol L−1, and 200 μmol L−1, in 2-repeated greenhouse experiments. Results showed that Cd stress markedly affects growth, chlorophyll contents, and physiological traits and boosted up anti-oxidative defense system activity, osmoprotectants, and Cd contents. However, Si application as foliar or root induced reversibility of Cd toxic effects by significantly increasing growth, chlorophyll contents, membrane stability index, and Si contents and significantly reducing membrane injury contents measured as electrolytic leakage (EL) contents, lipid peroxidation measured as malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, and osmotic pressure measured as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contents and increased in enzymatic and non-enzymatic anti-oxidative defense system’s activity. Being an effective beneficial element, Si with the preference of root application improved leaf area, plant biomass, membrane characteristic, photosynthetic rate, and anti-oxidative defense system of wheat plants by alleviating Cd toxicity.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the Agriculture Water and Soil Environment Field Science Research Station, China, for the permission to carry out the research.

Funding

The Central Public-Interest Scientific Institution financially supported this research Basal Research Fund (Farmland Irrigation Research Institute, CAAS, FIRI2013-17), by the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program (Grant No. CAAS-ASTIP-FIRE-03), the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51679241, 51709265).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Farmland Irrigation Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China

    Shafeeq-ur-Rahman, Qi Xuebin, Xiao Yatao & Muhammad Zain

  2. Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, People’s Republic of China

    Shafeeq-ur-Rahman, Xiao Yatao & Muhammad Zain

  3. Key Laboratory of High-efficient and Safe Utilization of Agriculture Water Resources of CAAS, Xinxiang, 453003, China

    Shafeeq-ur-Rahman & Qi Xuebin

  4. School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China

    Muhammad Irfan Ahmad

  5. Biology/Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China

    Muhammad Shehzad

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  1. Shafeeq-ur-Rahman
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  2. Qi Xuebin
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  3. Xiao Yatao
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Correspondence to Qi Xuebin.

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Shafeeq-ur-Rahman, Xuebin, Q., Yatao, X. et al. Silicon and Its Application Methods Improve Physiological Traits and Antioxidants in Triticum aestivum (L.) Under Cadmium Stress. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 20, 1110–1121 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-020-00197-y

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