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Role of silicon on root morphological characters of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants grown under Cd-contaminated nutrient solution

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Abstract

Heavy metal toxicity causes a remarkable decline in the growth and yield of numerous plant species in the agricultural system. Cadmium (Cd) among the other heavy metals is the most distinguished lethal heavy metal as its higher water solubility, relative mobility, and phytotoxicity. Silicon (Si), as a second most abundant element, has been reported to mitigate numerous abiotic stresses, comprising heavy metal stress in plants. The 2-repeated studies were conducted to disclose the protective role of silica gel derived from sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) at the rate of 1 and 3 mmol L−1 on the root morphological characters of wheat plants grown in cultured medium with three levels of Cd toxicities (0, 50, and 200 µmol L−1). The results of our studies demonstrated a remarkable alteration in morphological traits of wheat roots with both levels of Cd toxicities through incorporating an excessive amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), by lipid peroxidation, by limitation of essential nutrient availability, and by the accumulation of the high contents of Cd in root cells. While the introduction of Si nanoparticles at the rate of 1 and 3 mmol L−1 in the cultured medium having Cd toxicities remarkably demolished Cd adversity by shifting the balance between antioxidant enzymes and oxidants of ROS. Moreover, Si significantly increased cations concentrations in root tips that compete with Cd ions for exchange sites and reduced Cd uptake and accumulation by roots. Being an effective beneficial element, Si improved root morphological characters by strengthening the antioxidative defense system and by hindering ROS in root tissues grown in a cultured medium with different toxicities of Cd.

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Data availability

All necessary data that supported our findings is inducted in this manuscript. Moreover, raw data related to the mass spectroscopy as well as the enzymatic study is organized in an excel sheet and will be provided on editorial request after the official acceptance of the paper.

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Acknowledgements

“This work is conducted by the permission of Agriculture Water and Soil Environment Field Science Research Station, China. This research work was funded by the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program (Grant No. CAAS-ASTIP-FIRE-03), CAAS, and by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51679241, 51709265)”(Ur-Rahman et al. 2020).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Farmland Irrigation Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, 453003, People’s Republic of China

    Shafeeq Ur Rahman & Qi Xuebin

  2. Key Laboratory of High-Efficient and Safe Utilization of Agriculture Water Resources of CAAS, Xinxiang, 453003, People’s Republic of China

    Shafeeq Ur Rahman & Qi Xuebin

  3. Department of Forestry and Range Management, Islamia Universiy Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

    Ghulam Yasin

  4. MOE Laborary for Earth Surface Processes College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, People’s Republic of China

    Hefa Cheng

  5. Key Laboratory of Crop Water Use and Regulation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Farmland Irrigation Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Xinxiang, Henan, 453003, People’s Republic of China

    Faisal Mehmood & Muhammad Zain

  6. Biology/Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, People’s Republic of China

    Muhammad Shehzad

  7. School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, People’s Republic of China

    Muhammad Irfan Ahmad

  8. College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, People’s Republic of China

    Luqman Riaz

  9. Bahauddin Zakariya University, Bahadur Campus Layyah, Layyah, Pakistan

    Abdur Rahim

  10. Institute of Soil and Environmental Science, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

    Saeed Ur Rahman

  11. Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Saeed Ur Rahman

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  1. Shafeeq Ur Rahman
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  2. Qi Xuebin
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  3. Ghulam Yasin
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  4. Hefa Cheng
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  6. Muhammad Zain
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  7. Muhammad Shehzad
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  8. Muhammad Irfan Ahmad
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Ur Rahman, S., Xuebin, Q., Yasin, G. et al. Role of silicon on root morphological characters of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants grown under Cd-contaminated nutrient solution. Acta Physiol Plant 43, 60 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-021-03228-y

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