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Silicon and Insect Pest Resistance

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Silicon in Agriculture

Abstract

In general, silicon (Si) is involved in plant resistance against insect pest damage via two major defence mechanisms: physical defence and induced biochemical (chemical) defence. Si deposited as opaline phytoliths within plants may act as an antiherbivore defence through increasing hardness and abrasiveness of tissues and wearing of herbivore mouthparts. In turn, this would create a feeding deterrent, which may reduce the palatability and digestibility of leaves, thereby potentially impacting on herbivore performance (physical defence). On the other hand, increasing evidence shows that biochemical changes and induced resistance, because of Si uptake by the plant, are also responsible for the alleviation of insect pest damage. More recently, it has been confirmed that Si plays a positive role in priming plants for a better defence response against pest infestation (e.g. rice leaf roller). The primed state seems to be mediated via jasmonic acid signalling pathways.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Yongchao Liang

  2. Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China

    Yongchao Liang & Alin Song

  3. University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Miroslav Nikolic

  4. Laval University, Québec, Canada

    Richard Bélanger

  5. Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China

    Haijun Gong

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  1. Yongchao Liang
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  4. Haijun Gong
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  5. Alin Song
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Liang, Y., Nikolic, M., Bélanger, R., Gong, H., Song, A. (2015). Silicon and Insect Pest Resistance. In: Silicon in Agriculture. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9978-2_10

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