Silicon: A Plant Nutritional “Non-Entity”
for Mitigating Abiotic Stresses
2
Sahil Mehta, Mansi Gogna, Baljinder Singh, Anupam Patra,
Indrakant Kumar Singh, and Archana Singh
Abstract
In the present era, the progression of plant development in the environment is
adversely affected by increasing incidences of abiotic and biotic stresses. These
stressors singly or in combination negatively pose pressure on plants. As a result,
the plants display a wide range of morphological, physiological, biochemical,
metabolic, molecular as well as epigenetic responses that help them in averting
stress-triggered alterations. In addition to “Omics,” plant breeding, functional
genomics, transgenic technology, and genome editing approaches, better mineral
nutrition coupled with soil-health amendments is still considered as the key
management practice. Use of Silicon (Si), the second most predominant and
quasi-essential element, has been recommended in the recent past. Si not only
promotes growth and development of plants, it also works as “anti-stress agent.”
Si mitigates this alleviating effect mainly by ROS detoxification, immobilization,
and compartmentation of toxic metal ions, modification in water and nutrients
S. Mehta · A. Patra
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
M. Gogna
Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Department of Botany, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
B. Singh
National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, India
I. K. Singh (*)
Molecular Biology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of
Delhi, New Delhi, India
e-mail: iksingh@db.du.ac.in
A. Singh (*)
Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
e-mail: archanasingh@hrc.du.ac.in
# The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte
Ltd. 2020
B. Giri, M. P. Sharma (eds.), Plant Stress Biology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9380-2_2
17
for Mitigating Abiotic Stresses
2
Sahil Mehta, Mansi Gogna, Baljinder Singh, Anupam Patra,
Indrakant Kumar Singh, and Archana Singh
Abstract
In the present era, the progression of plant development in the environment is
adversely affected by increasing incidences of abiotic and biotic stresses. These
stressors singly or in combination negatively pose pressure on plants. As a result,
the plants display a wide range of morphological, physiological, biochemical,
metabolic, molecular as well as epigenetic responses that help them in averting
stress-triggered alterations. In addition to “Omics,” plant breeding, functional
genomics, transgenic technology, and genome editing approaches, better mineral
nutrition coupled with soil-health amendments is still considered as the key
management practice. Use of Silicon (Si), the second most predominant and
quasi-essential element, has been recommended in the recent past. Si not only
promotes growth and development of plants, it also works as “anti-stress agent.”
Si mitigates this alleviating effect mainly by ROS detoxification, immobilization,
and compartmentation of toxic metal ions, modification in water and nutrients
S. Mehta · A. Patra
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
M. Gogna
Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Department of Botany, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
B. Singh
National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, India
I. K. Singh (*)
Molecular Biology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of
Delhi, New Delhi, India
e-mail: iksingh@db.du.ac.in
A. Singh (*)
Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
e-mail: archanasingh@hrc.du.ac.in
# The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte
Ltd. 2020
B. Giri, M. P. Sharma (eds.), Plant Stress Biology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9380-2_2
17