Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
Silicon Nano-Fertilizer-Enhanced Soybean Resilience and Yield Under Drought Stress |
| Authors: |
Jian Wei, Lu Liu, Zihan Wei, Qiushi Qin, Qianyue Bai, Chungang Zhao, Shuheng Zhang, Hongtao Wang |
| Source: |
Plants, Vol 14, Iss 5, p 751 (2025) |
| Publisher Information: |
MDPI AG, 2025. |
| Publication Year: |
2025 |
| Collection: |
LCC:Botany |
| Subject Terms: |
nano-fertilizer, drought stress, soybean yield, nitrogen fixing potential, Botany, QK1-989 |
| More Details: |
Drought stress threatens agriculture and food security, significantly impacting soybean yield and physiology. Despite the documented role of nanosilica (n-SiO2) in enhancing crop resilience, its full growth-cycle effects on soybeans under drought stress remain elusive. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of n-SiO2 at a concentration of 100 mg kgā1 in a soil medium for enhancing drought tolerance in soybeans through a full life-cycle assessment in a greenhouse setup. To elucidate the mechanisms of n-SiO2 action, key physiological, biochemical, and yield parameters were systematically measured. The results demonstrated that n-SiO2 significantly increased silicon content in shoots and roots, restored osmotic balance by reducing the Na+/K+ ratio by 40%, and alleviated proline accumulation by 35% compared to the control, thereby mitigating osmotic stress. Enzyme activities related to nitrogen metabolism, including nitrate reductase (NR) and glutamine synthetase (GS), improved by 25ā30% under n-SiO2 treatment compared to the control. Additionally, antioxidant activity, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, increased by 15%, while oxidative stress markers such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased by 20ā25% compared to the control. Furthermore, yield components were significantly enhanced, with pod number and grain weight increasing by 15% and 20%, respectively, under n-SiO2 treatment compared to untreated plants in drought conditions. These findings suggest that n-SiO2 effectively enhances drought resilience in soybeans by reinforcing physiological and metabolic processes critical for growth and yield. This study underscores the potential of n-SiO2 as a sustainable amendment to support soybean productivity in drought-prone environments, contributing to more resilient agricultural systems amidst increasing climate variability. Future research should focus on conducting large-scale field trials to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of n-SiO2 applications under diverse environmental conditions to assess its practical viability in sustainable agriculture. |
| Document Type: |
article |
| File Description: |
electronic resource |
| Language: |
English |
| ISSN: |
2223-7747 |
| Relation: |
https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/5/751; https://doaj.org/toc/2223-7747 |
| DOI: |
10.3390/plants14050751 |
| Access URL: |
https://doaj.org/article/70244ebd51834daea2d8fde544454258 |
| Accession Number: |
edsdoj.70244ebd51834daea2d8fde544454258 |
| Database: |
Directory of Open Access Journals |
