Abstract
Silicon (Si) is a beneficial mineral that enhances plant protection against abiotic and biotic stresses, including insect herbivores. Si increases mechanical and biochemical defenses in a variety of plant species. However, the use of Si in agriculture remains poorly adopted despite its widely documented benefits in plant health. In this study, we tested the effect of Si supplementation on the induction of plant resistance against a chewing herbivore in crops with differential ability to accumulate this element. Our model system comprised the generalist herbivore fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda and three economically important plant species with differential ability to uptake silicon: tomato (non-Si accumulator), soybean, and maize (Si-accumulators). We investigated the effects of Si supply and insect herbivory on the induction of physical and biochemical plant defenses, and herbivore growth using potted plants in greenhouse conditions. Herbivory and Si supply increased peroxidase (POX) activity and trichome density in tomato, and the concentration of phenolics in soybean. Si supplementation increased leaf Si concentration in all plants. Previous herbivory affected FAW larval weight gain in all plants tested, and the Si treatment further reduced weight gain of larvae fed on Si accumulator plants. Notably, our results strongly suggest that non-glandular trichomes are important reservoirs of Si in maize and may increase plant resistance to chewing herbivores. We conclude that Si offers transient resistance to FAW in soybean, and a more lasting resistance in maize. Si supply is a promising strategy in management programs of chewing herbivores in Si-accumulator plants.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Herbivory and silicon supply increased peroxidase activity and trichome density in tomato.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicume0 - Treatment
- Herbivory and Si supplye0
- Outcome
- peroxidase (POX) activity and trichome densitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Herbivory and Si supply increased peroxidase (POX) activity and trichome density in tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Herbivory and silicon supply increased phenolics in soybean.
- Taxon
- soybean
Glycine maxe0 - Treatment
- Herbivory and Si supplye0
- Interactor
- Herbivorye0herbivore
- Outcome
- concentration of phenolicse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Herbivory and Si supply increased peroxidase (POX) activity and trichome density in tomato, and the concentration of phenolics in soybean.”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon supplementation increased leaf silicon concentration in all plants.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee0
- Treatment
- Si supplementatione0
- Outcome
- leaf Si concentratione0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Si supplementation increased leaf Si concentration in all plants.”
Claim · model-written summary
Previous herbivory affected armyworm larval weight gain across the plants.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee0
- Treatment
- Previous herbivorye0
- Interactor
- FAWe0herbivore
- Outcome
- FAW larval weight gaine0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Previous herbivory affected FAW larval weight gain in all plants tested”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon further reduced armyworm larval weight gain on silicon-accumulating plants.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee0
- Treatment
- Si treatmente0
- Interactor
- larvaee0herbivore
- Outcome
- weight gain of larvaee0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“the Si treatment further reduced weight gain of larvae fed on Si accumulator plants.”
Claim · model-written summary
Non-glandular trichomes may serve as silicon reservoirs in maize and increase resistance to chewing herbivores.
- Organ / stage
- non-glandular trichomese0
- Interactor
- chewing herbivorese0herbivore
- Outcome
- plant resistance to chewing herbivorese0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“non-glandular trichomes are important reservoirs of Si in maize and may increase plant resistance to chewing herbivores.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors concluded that silicon offers transient resistance to armyworm in soybean.
- Taxon
- soybeanGlycine maxe0
- Interactor
- FAWe0herbivore
- Outcome
- transient resistance to FAWe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Si offers transient resistance to FAW in soybean”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors concluded that silicon offers more lasting resistance to armyworm in maize.
- Outcome
- more lasting resistancee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a more lasting resistance in maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend silicon supply for managing chewing herbivores in silicon-accumulating crops.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee0
- Interactor
- chewing herbivorese0herbivore
- Outcome
- Si supply is a promising strategy in management programs of chewing herbivorese0
Verbatim
e0“Si supply is a promising strategy in management programs of chewing herbivores in Si-accumulator plants.”
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- no effect
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silicon atom · quality: phytochemicals · Glycine max (soybean)Results agree
2 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
silicon atom · nutrient: content · Viridiplantae (plants)Results agree
4 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
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See all 5 papers →grazing · quality: phytochemicals · Glycine max (soybean)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- no effect
grazing · physiology: antioxidant enzymes · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.