AMELIORATION OF HARMFUL EFFECTS OF SOIL SALINITY IN PLANTS THROUGH SILICON APPLICATION: A REVIEW

Improved crop production in salt-affected regions is necessary to counter growing demands for food. Salt stress initiate osmotic and oxidative stress, and specific ion toxicity leading to nutritional imbalance and altered gas exchange characteristics in plants. It is broadly stated that silicon (Si) is the 2(nd) rich element present in soil used previously to mitigate salt stress. Here we reviewed the salt uptake mechanisms by roots and its integration with different physiological and metabolic processes. The primary focus is to explain mechanisms by which Si uptake in plants contributes to the salt stress amelioration. Numerous studies suggested that Si is effective in improving plant growth and biomass, seed germination, photosynthetic pigment, antioxidant enzymes activity, relative water content and reducing ion toxicity and oxidative damage under salt stress. However, it is a prerequisite to determine Si-mediated salinity tolerance mechanisms under different edaphic and climatic conditions with varying specie types and field practices systems which are considered here in detail.