Abstract
Soluble silicon (Si) plays a pivotal role in the nutritional status of a wide variety of field crops and helps them, whether directly or indirectly, counteract fungal diseases. There is a paucity of information about the effect of Si on reducing Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease in wheat. This study aimed to evaluate the function of Si supplied to bread (moderately resistant) and durum (susceptible) wheat plants via incorporation into soil and foliar spraying in conferring resistance against four FHB species. Resistance mechanisms possibly involved in reduction of disease incidence and disease severity measured at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post inoculation (dpi) potentialized by this element were also suggested. A SiO2 powder was applied to soil while liquid formulation of Si was used as foliar spray at the rates 0.00, 0.50, 1.50 and 3.00 g/kg and 0.0, 0.8, 1.7 and 3.4 mM, respectively. Si at all rates of application did not significantly (p ≥ 0.05) reduce the incidence and severity at 7 dpi. However, with the application of 1.50 g/kg of soil and 1.7 mM, a reduction of bleaching of spikes (19.4% and 17.5%, respectively, on bread, 14.6% and 12.3%, respectively, on durum at 28 dpi) and spikelets (17.9% and 16.9%, respectively, on bread, 17.6% and 17.0%, respectively, on durum at 28 dpi) was observed at 14 dpi and increased with time till 28 dpi, and the other rates did not. The results also revealed that plants treated with solid source of Si (1.50 g silica gel) suffered lower levels of disease incidence and severity as compared with those treated with foliar spray (1.7 mM). The Si effect appeared to be species-specific at 21 and 28 dpi. More importantly, the susceptible cultivar treated with silicon was as resistant as the moderately resistant cultivar without silicon at 14, 21 and 28 dpi. Considering that no effects of Si were observed during the initial infection stage up to 7 dpi, our results theoretically postulate that silicon triggers defense processes in wheat plants, acting as an elicitor, in the latest infection stages (14 till 28 dpi) to reduce disease incidence and severity with a diversity depending of FHB species through affecting mycotoxins synthesis. Si soil and foliar inputs could be a valuable tool in integrated management against FHB pathogens by reducing the disease development on wheat.
Zusammenfassung
Lösliches Silizium (Si) spielt eine zentrale Rolle im Nährstoffstatus einer Vielzahl von Feldfrüchten und hilft ihnen, ob direkt oder indirekt, Pilzkrankheiten entgegenzuwirken. Es gibt nur wenige Informationen über die Wirkung von Si auf die Reduzierung der Ährenfusariose (Fusarium head blight, FHB) bei Weizen. Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Funktion von Si, das Brotweizen (mäßig resistent) und Durumweizen (anfällig) durch Einarbeitung in den Boden und Blattspritzung zugeführt wird, bei der Vermittlung von Resistenz gegen vier FHB-Arten zu bewerten. Es wurden auch Resistenzmechanismen vorgeschlagen, die möglicherweise an der Verringerung der Krankheitsinzidenz und der Krankheitsschwere – gemessen an 7, 14, 21 und 28 Tagen nach der Inokulation (days post inoculation, dpi) – beteiligt sind. Ein SiO2-Pulver wurde auf den Boden aufgebracht (0,00, 0,50, 1,50 und 3,00 g/kg), während eine flüssige Formulierung von Si als Blattspray in den Raten 0,0, 0,8, 1,7 und 3,4 mM verwendet wurde. Si in allen Anwendungsraten reduzierte das Auftreten und den Schweregrad bei 7 dpi nicht signifikant (p ≥ 0,05). Jedoch wurde bei der Anwendung von 1,50 g/kg Boden und 1,7 mM eine Reduzierung des Ausbleichens der Ähren (19,4 % bzw. 17,5 % bei Brot, 14,6 % bzw. 12,3 % bei Durum bei 28 dpi) und der Ährchen (17,9 % bzw. 16,9 % bei Brot, 17,6 % bzw. 17,0 % bei Durum bei 28 dpi) bei 14 dpi beobachtet, was mit der Zeit bis 28 dpi zunahm, bei den anderen Raten nicht. Die Ergebnisse zeigten auch, dass Pflanzen, die mit einer festen Si-Quelle (1,50 g Kieselgel) behandelt wurden, ein geringeres Auftreten und eine geringere Schwere der Krankheit aufwiesen als solche, die mit Blattspray (1,7 mM) behandelt wurden. Der Si-Effekt schien bei 21 und 28 dpi artspezifisch zu sein. Noch wichtiger ist, dass die anfällige Sorte, die mit Silizium behandelt wurde, bei 14, 21 und 28 dpi genauso resistent war wie die mäßig resistente Sorte ohne Silizium. In Anbetracht der Tatsache, dass während des anfänglichen Infektionsstadiums bis zu 7 dpi keine Wirkungen von Silizium beobachtet wurden, postulieren unsere Ergebnisse theoretisch, dass Silizium in den letzten Infektionsstadien (14 bis 28 dpi) Abwehrprozesse in Weizenpflanzen auslöst und als Elicitor wirkt, um das Auftreten und den Schweregrad der Krankheit in Abhängigkeit von der FHB-Spezies zu reduzieren, indem es die Synthese von Mykotoxinen beeinflusst. Si-Bodenbehandlungen und Blattspritzungen könnten ein wertvolles Werkzeug im integrierten Management gegen FHB-Pathogene sein, indem sie die Krankheitsentwicklung bei Weizen reduzieren.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al-Chaabi S, Al-Masri S, Nehlawi A et al (2018) Monitoring of Fusarium wheat head blight distribution, its causal agents, and pathogenicity variation in Al-Ghab plain, Syria. Arab J Plant Prot 36:98–113. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-036.2.098113
Alkadri D, Nipoti P, Doll K et al (2013) Study of fungal colonization of wheat kernels in Syria with a focus on Fusarium species. Int J Mol Sci 14:5938–5951. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms14035938
Bai G, Chen L, Shaner G (2003) Breeding for resistance to Fusarium head blight of wheat in China. In: Leonard KJ, Bushnell WR (eds) Fusarium head blight of wheat and barley, 1st edn. The American Phytopathological Society, St Paul, pp 296–317
Beccari G, Prodi A, Senatore MT et al (2020) Cultivation area affects the presence of fungal communities and secondary metabolites in Italian durum wheat grains. Toxins 12:97. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins12020097
Bentivenga G, Spina A, Ammar K et al (2021) Screening of durum wheat [Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum(Desf.) Husn.] Italian cultivars for susceptibility to Fusarium head blight incited by Fusarium graminearum. Plants 10:68. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010068
Bottalico A, Perrone G (2002) Toxigenic Fusarium species and mycotoxins associated with head blight in small-grain cereals in Europe. Eur J Plant Pathol 108:611–624. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020635214971
Bushnell WR, Hazen BE, Pritsch C (2003) Histology and physiology of Fusarium head blight. In: Leonard KJ, Bushnell WR (eds) Fusarium head blight of wheat and barley, 1st edn. The American Phytopathological Society, St Paul, pp 44–83
Covarelli L, Beccari G, Prodi A et al (2015) Fusarium species, chemotype characterisation and trichothecene contamination of durum and soft wheat in an area of Central Italy. J Sci Food Agric 95:540–551. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.6772
Debona D, Rodrigues FA, Datnoff LE (2017) Silicon’s role in abiotic and biotic plant stresses. Annu Rev Phytopathol 55:85–107. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-phyto-080516-035312
Dogramaci M, Arthurs SP, Chen J et al (2013) Silicon applications have minimal effects on Scirtothrips dorsalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) populations on pepper plant, Capsicum annum L. Fla Entomol 96:48–54. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.096.0106
Domiciano GP, Rodrigues FA, Vale FXR et al (2010) Wheat resistance to spot blotch potentiated by silicon. J Phytopathol 158:334–343. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.2009.01623.x
Dweba CC, Figlan S, Shimelis HA et al (2017) Fusarium head blight of wheat: pathogenesis and control strategies. Crop Prot 91:114–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2016.10.002
Filha MSX, Rodrigues FA, Domiciano GP et al (2011) Wheat resistance to leaf blast mediated by silicon. Australas Plant Pathol 40:28–38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13313-010-0010-1
Guevel MH, Menzies JG, Blanger RR (2007) Effect of root and foliar applications of soluble silicon on powdery mildew control and growth of wheat plants. Eur J Plant Pathol 119:429–436. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-007-9181-1
Hodson MJ, Sangster AG (1988) Silica deposition in the inflorescence bracts of wheat (Triticum aestivum). I. Scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Can J Bot 66:829–838. https://doi.org/10.1139/b89-041
Jackowiak H, Packa D, Wiwart M et al (2005) Scanning electron microscopy of Fusarium damaged kernels of spring wheat. Int J Food Microbiol 98:113–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2004.05.014
Jin F, Bai GH, Zhang DD et al (2014) Fusarium-damaged kernels and deoxynivalenol in Fusarium-infected U.S. winter wheat. Phytopathology 104:472–478. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-07-13-0187-R
Ma JF, Yamaji N (2006) Silicon uptake and accumulation in higher plants. Trends Plant Sci 11:392–397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2006.06.007
McMullen M, Bergstrom G, De Wolf E et al (2012) A unified effort to fight an enemy of wheat and barley: Fusarium head blight. Plant Dis 96:1712–1728. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-03-12-0291-FE
Mecfel J, Hinke S, Goedel WA et al (2007) Effect of silicon fertilizers on silicon accumulation in wheat. J Plant Nut Soil Sci 170:769–772. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.200625038
Mesterhazy A (2020) Updating the breeding philosophy of wheat to Fusarium head blight (FHB): resistance components, QTL identification, and phenotyping—A review. Plants 9:1702. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121702
Moreno-Amores J, Michel S, Miedaner T et al (2020) Genomic predictions for Fusarium head blight resistance in a diverse durum wheat panel: an effective incorporation of plant height and heading date as covariates. Euphytica 216:22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-019-2551-x
Parry DW, Jenkinson P, Mcleod L (1995) Fusarium ear blight (scab) in small grain cereals—a review. Plant Pathol 44:207–238. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.1995.tb02773.x
Pazdiora PC, da Rosa Dorneles K, Morello TN et al (2021) Silicon soil amendment as a complement to manage tan spot and fusarium head blight in wheat. Agron Sustain Dev 41:21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-021-00677-0
Reynolds OL, Padula MP, Zeng R et al (2016) Silicon: potential to promote direct and indirect effects on plant defense against arthropod pests in agriculture. Front Plant Sci. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.00744
Rodgers-Gray B, Shaw M (2004) Effects of straw and silicon soil amendments on some foliar and stem-base diseases in pot-grown winter wheat. Plant Pathol 53:733–740. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.2004.01102.x
Rodrigues FA, Vale FXR, Korndorfer GH et al (2003) Influence of silicon on sheath blight of rice in Brazil. Crop Prot 22:23–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-2194(02)00084-4
Sakr N (2016) The role of silicon (Si) in increasing plant resistance against fungal diseases. Hell Plant Prot J 9:1–15. https://doi.org/10.1515/hppj-2016-0001
Sakr N (2018) Silicon-enhanced resistance of plants to biotic stresses. Acta Phytopathol Entomol Hung 53:125–141. https://doi.org/10.1556/038.53.2018.005
Sakr N (2019) Pathogenicity and quantitative resistance in Mediterranean durum and bread wheat cultivars of Syrian origin towards Fusarium head blight agents under controlled conditions. J Plant Protect Res 59:451–464. https://doi.org/10.24425/jppr.2019.131261
Sakr N (2020) Conservation of cereal fungi following different methods of preservation for long terms. Pak J Phytopathol 32:159–168. https://doi.org/10.33866/phytopathol.030.02.0584
Sarkar U, Tahura S, Das U et al (2020) Mitigation of chromium toxicity in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) through silicon. Gesunde Pflanz 72:237–244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-020-00506-6
Scala V, Aureli G, Cesarano G et al (2016) Climate, soil, management, and cultivar affect Fusarium head blight incidence and deoxynivalenol accumulation in durum wheat of Southern Italy. Front Microbiol. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.01014
Seong K, Zhao X, Xu J et al (2008) Conidial germination in the filamentous fungus Fusarium graminearum. Fungal Genet Biol 45:389–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fgb.2007.09.002
Silva IT, Rodrigues FA, Oliveira JR et al (2010) Wheat resistance to bacterial leaf streak mediated by silicon. J Phytopathol 158:253–262. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.2009.01610.x
Silva WLD, Cruz MFA, Fortunato AA et al (2015) Histochemical aspects of wheat resistance to leaf blast mediated by silicon. Sci Agric 72:322–327. https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-9016-2014-0221
Van Bockhaven J, Vleesschauwer DD, Hofte M (2013) Towards establishing broad-spectrum disease resistance in plants: silicon leads the way. J Exp Bot 64:1281–1293. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ers329
Van de Ent S, Van Hulten M, Pozo MJ et al (2009) Priming a plant innate immunity by Rhizobacteria and β‑aminobutyric acid: differences and similarities in regulation. New Phytol 183:419–431. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02851.x
Wang M, Gao L, Dong S et al (2017) Role of silicon on plant–pathogen interactions. Front Plant Sci 8:701. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.00701
Xu X, Nicholson P (2009) Community ecology of fungal pathogens causing wheat head blight. Ann Rev Phytopathol 47:83–103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-007-9189-6
Xue AG, Armstrong KC, Voldeng HD et al (2004) Comparative aggressiveness of isolates of Fusarium species causing head blight on wheat in Canada. Can J Plant Pathol 26:81–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/07060660409507117
Yobo KS, Mngadi ZNC, Laing MD (2019) Efficacy of two potassium silicate formulations and two Trichoderma strains on Fusarium head blight of wheat. Proc Natl Acad Sci India Sect B Biol Sci 89:185–190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-017-0935-z
Zellner W, Frantzb J, Leisnera S (2011) Silicon delays Tobacco ringspot virus systemic symptoms in Nicotiana tabacum. J Plant Physiol 168:1866–1869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2011.04.002
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the Atomic Energy Commission of Syria for providing assistance for this research.
Funding
This work was funded by the Atomic Energy Commission of Syria.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
N. Sakr declares that he has no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sakr, N. Soluble Silicon Controls Fusarium Head Blight in Bread and Durum Wheat Plants. Gesunde Pflanzen 73, 479–493 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-021-00568-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-021-00568-0