Physiological Parameters of Silicon-Treated Maize Under Salt Stress Conditions

The effects of silicon (Si) on Zea mays under salt stress conditions were investigated and the data was analyzed by cluster heat maps. The results indicated that the application of Si in salt-stressed plants significantly increased fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll b, carotenoids and reduced sugar, and decreased proline contents. In addition, Si decreased the APX (ascorbate peroxidase) and SOD (superoxide dismutase) activities under salt stress conditions but significantly increased CAT (catalase) activity. The application of Si under salt stress conditions decreased the Na, Ca, Fe, and K contents of plants and increased Mg translocation from the root to shoots. Therefore, alleviation effects of Si under salt stress conditions, at least in parts, may be related to increases of reduced sugar and pigment content, increase of CAT activity as an antioxidant enzyme, and decrease of Na content in maize. Decreases of the SOD and APX activities and the proline content of plants, when Si was added to NaCl-treated plants, showed the favorable role of Si in mitigating the adverse effects of salt stress.