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Foliar Spray of Silicon Enhances Resistance against Pyricularia oryzae by Triggering Phytoalexin Responds in Aerobic Rice

European Journal of Plant Pathology volume 159, pages 673–683 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

Rice blast (caused by Pyricularia oryzae) is the most devastative disease threatening sustainability rice production. The role of silicon as a foliar application in biochemical defence involvement towards P. oryzae infection in aerobic rice remains unclear. The goal of this study was to explore the effectiveness of silicon (Si) as a foliar spray in triggering phytoalexin synthesis to increase resistance against P. oryzae infection on two aerobic rice cultivars MR219-4 (partially resistant to rice blast) and MARDI Aerob 1 (resistant). Three Si sources: calcium silicate, silica oxide and sodium metasilicate were tested at 3, 6, and 9 mg/L against P. oryzae infection. Foliar application of calcium silicate at 9 mg/L significantly reduced rice blast disease severity to 0.11% (MARDI Aerob 1) and 3.30% (MR219-4). In vitro screenings of phytoalexins (sakuranetin and momilactone A) against P. oryzae revealed that sakuranetin is more prominent to inhibit P. oryzae in both solid and liquid media. The expression of sakuranetin was further quantified from Si-mediated rice seedlings after challenge inoculated with P. oryzae. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) revealed that sakuranetin in both Si-mediated rice seedlings inoculated with P. oryzae significantly increased at 2nd DAI with 0.13 mg/mL in MARDI Aerob 1 and 0.48 mg/mL in MR219-4 compared with control (without Si foliar application). These results emphasized calcium silicate as foliar spray augmented resistance to P. oryzae infection by prolonging sakuranetin accumulation as one of the mechanisms that strengthening the rice plant health besides physiological barrier mechanism in the aerobic rice.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the Malaysia Higher Education Ministry for the Research grant administered through the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2014/STWN03/UMT/02/4), the Laboratory of Pest, Disease and Microbial Biotechnology (LAPDiM), Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science (FFFS), the Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS), central laboratory of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. Besides, the authors would also like to thank Prof Dr. Morifumi Hasegawa from the College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University, Japan for providing us the momilactone A.

Funding

This study was supported in part by the grant in aid for the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme under the Ministry of Educational Malaysia (FRGS/1/2014/STWN03/UMT/02/4). This manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Pest, Disease and Microbial Biotechnology (LAPDiM), Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science (FFFS), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

    Lee Chuen Ng, Z. Nura Adila & Elham M. Shahrul Hafiz

  2. Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

    A. Aziz

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  1. Lee Chuen Ng
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  2. Z. Nura Adila
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  3. Elham M. Shahrul Hafiz
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Correspondence to Lee Chuen Ng.

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Ng, L.C., Adila, Z.N., Shahrul Hafiz, E.M. et al. Foliar Spray of Silicon Enhances Resistance against Pyricularia oryzae by Triggering Phytoalexin Responds in Aerobic Rice. Eur J Plant Pathol 159, 673–683 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-020-02197-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-020-02197-1

Keywords

  • Foliar spray
  • Silicon
  • Aerobic rice
  • Pyricularia oryzae
  • Phytoalexins
  • Sakuranetin