Mitigating Climate Change for Sugarcane Improvement: Role of Silicon in Alleviating Abiotic Stresses

Climatic variables are the main factors determining the crop productivity, and these undergo changes in the course of time. Though silicon (Si) is not an essential element for the plants, its significant role has been observed in various plant species. Use of silicon could stimulate plant growth and mitigate multiple stresses such as salinity, drought, heat, extreme temperature, metal toxicity and nutritional imbalance as well as the stress linked with changes in global climatic variables. Silicon can also delay leaf senescence. In addition, Si is not harmful to plants even when present in excess. Eco-friendly techniques would be needed for addressing the growing demands for food grains and other agricultural production. The use of Si would become a sustainable strategy for increasing crop yield, improving quality and mitigating abiotic stresses in the near future. This review highlights our current understanding on the use of silicon to mitigate abiotic stresses and enhance crop production.