Abstract
Abstract The accumulation of silicon (Si) is widely reported to have anti‐herbivore defensive properties in grasses. There is emerging, but fragmentary, evidence that Si could play a similar role in legumes. Here, we sought to understand the effects of Si supplementation on anti‐herbivore defensive properties in lucerne ( Medicago sativa ), especially in relation to other potential defences (i.e. phenolics) and the phytohormone that regulates anti‐herbivore defences, jasmonic acid or jasmonate (JA), which is also linked to Si accumulation. We determined how growth, root nodulation and chemistry (carbon, nitrogen and phenolic concentrations) of four genotypes of lucerne responded to Si supplementation, with and without the application of JA, and we used feeding assays to determine the subsequent effects on the feeding success of adult Sitona discoideus weevils. Si supplementation increased plant mass and root nodulation of M. sativa by 61% and 227%, respectively, and reduced relative consumption (RC) and frass production by S. discoideus by 38% and 30% respectively. Si supplementation had no effect on foliar nitrogen concentrations, most likely due to the dilution effects of increased plant growth and foliar carbon. Phenolic concentrations were negatively correlated with leaf RC; RC also decreased by 34% when JA was applied to plants. When Si was combined with JA application, phenolics were significantly enhanced, demonstrating the potential to stimulate multiple anti‐herbivore properties in M. sativa . Overall, the Si‐ and JA‐induced phytochemical and herbivore feeding responses were consistent between the four lucerne genotypes tested. Synthesis . The novel findings suggest that Si accumulation may play a more important role in legume resistance to herbivorous animals than previously thought. The ubiquity of soil Si and its emerging functional role in plant biology, including plant–animal interactions, suggest that these patterns could be common among legumes.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon supplementation increased lucerne mass by 61%.
- Taxon
- M. sativa
Medicago sativae0 - Treatment
- Si supplementatione0
- Outcome
- plant masse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 61%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Si supplementation increased plant mass and root nodulation of M. sativa by 61% and 227%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon supplementation increased lucerne root nodulation by 227%.
- Taxon
- M. sativaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- Si supplementatione0
- Outcome
- root nodulatione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 227%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Si supplementation increased plant mass and root nodulation of M. sativa by 61% and 227%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon supplementation reduced weevil relative consumption by 38%.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae2
- Treatment
- Si supplementatione1
- Interactor
- S. discoideus
Sitona discoideuse0pest - Outcome
- relative consumption (RC)e0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 38%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reduced relative consumption (RC) and frass production by S. discoideus by 38% and 30% respectively”
e1“Si supplementation increased plant mass”
e2“lucerne ( Medicago sativa )”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon supplementation reduced weevil frass production by 30%.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae2
- Treatment
- Si supplementatione1
- Interactor
- S. discoideusSitona discoideuse0pest
- Outcome
- frass production by S. discoideuse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 30%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reduced relative consumption (RC) and frass production by S. discoideus by 38% and 30% respectively”
e1“Si supplementation increased plant mass”
e2“lucerne ( Medicago sativa )”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon supplementation did not affect foliar nitrogen concentration.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae2
- Treatment
- Si supplementatione0
- Outcome
- foliar nitrogen concentrationse0
- Direction
- no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Si supplementation had no effect on foliar nitrogen concentrations”
e2“lucerne ( Medicago sativa )”
Claim · model-written summary
Phenolic concentrations were negatively associated with weevil relative consumption.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae2
- Interactor
- Sitona discoideusSitona discoideuse1pest
- Compound
- Phenolic concentrationse0
- Outcome
- leaf RCe0
- Direction
- negatively correlatede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Phenolic concentrations were negatively correlated with leaf RC”
e1“adult Sitona discoideus weevils”
e2“lucerne ( Medicago sativa )”
Claim · model-written summary
Jasmonate application reduced weevil relative consumption by 34%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“RC also decreased by 34% when JA was applied to plants.”
e2“lucerne ( Medicago sativa )”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined silicon and jasmonate significantly enhanced phenolics.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae2
- Treatment
- Si was combined with JA applicatione0
- Outcome
- phenolicse0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When Si was combined with JA application, phenolics were significantly enhanced”
e2“lucerne ( Medicago sativa )”
Claim · model-written summary
Phytochemical and feeding responses to silicon and jasmonate were consistent across four genotypes.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- phytochemical and herbivore feeding responsese0
- Direction
- consistente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the Si‐ and JA‐induced phytochemical and herbivore feeding responses were consistent between the four lucerne genotypes tested”
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9 papers more in this group
See all 13 papers →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.