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Agronomy
Special Issues
The Role of Silicon in Crop Stress Tolerance
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The Role of Silicon in Crop Stress Tolerance

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2026 | Viewed by 1648

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Leonardo Theodoro Büll

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Recursos Naturais Área Ciência do Solo, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Botucatu 18610-307, SP, Brazil
Interests: soil chemistry and fertility; agronomic efficiency of phosphate fertilizers; use of industrial and urban waste in agriculture; silicon in the soil–plant system
Dr. Dirceu Maximino Fernandes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Florest Science, Soils and Environment, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, Paulista State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18610-034, SP, Brazil
Interests: soil chemistry and fertility; fertilizers, correctives, and agro-Industrial and urban waste; silicon in the soil–plant system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Silicon (Si) is a beneficial element for plants that has been recognized as quasi-essential due to its structural role in accumulator plants. Si plays a fundamental role in mitigating various biotic and abiotic stresses through structural, physiological, and biochemical mechanisms. The role of Si in increasing resistance to pests and diseases, enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, reducing transpiration, and mitigating stresses caused by toxicity (Na, Al, Mn, and Fe) or nutritional deficiency (e.g., N, P, and K) through various mechanisms is not fully understood.

Si is involved in cellular signaling via specific transporters, hormonal regulation, and the modulation of gene expression under various stress conditions. However, further advances are necessary in order to elucidate these processes and clarify the primary role that Si has in plant development and stress alleviation. This Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of the role of silicon in sustainable agriculture by integrating biochemical and plant physiology perspectives, as well as explore the role of Si in the stress tolerance mechanisms of crops of agronomic importance.

We invite submissions including, but not limited to, the following areas: (i) soil–plant–microorganism interactions mediated by silicon under stress conditions; (ii) Si-induced mechanisms of abiotic or biotic stress tolerance in plants; (iii) signaling mechanisms involved in Si uptake; and (iv) biochemical and physiological responses mediated by Si–P interactions in cultivated plants. 

Dr. Leonardo Theodoro Büll
Dr. Dirceu Maximino Fernandes
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • silicon
  • silicates
  • beneficial element
  • silicon bioavailability
  • silicon–phosphorus interaction
  • silicon quasi-essential nutrient

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

23 pages, 689 KB  
Review
Alleviating Effect of Silicon on Aluminum Toxicity in Plants
by Angélica Cristina Fernandes Deus, Ana Paula Rodrigues da Silva, Rosemary Marques de Almeida Bertani, Anelisa de Aquino Vidal Lacerda Soares, Dirceu Maximino Fernandes and Leonardo Theodoro Büll
Agronomy 2026, 16(4), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16040471 - 19 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1202
Abstract
Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major constraint on crop growth and productivity in acidic soils, affecting root development, nutrient uptake, and photosynthetic performance. The use of Si is a promising strategy to overcome the adverse effects of Al toxicity on species of agronomic [...] Read more.
Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major constraint on crop growth and productivity in acidic soils, affecting root development, nutrient uptake, and photosynthetic performance. The use of Si is a promising strategy to overcome the adverse effects of Al toxicity on species of agronomic interest. Between 2020 and 2026, 15 studies across nine species consistently demonstrated that silicon mitigated aluminum toxicity, regardless of their classification as silicon accumulators. In plants, Si mitigates Al toxicity through a combination of physical, chemical, and biochemical mechanisms that operate simultaneously. In the rhizosphere, Si interacts directly with Al3+ ions, favoring the formation of hydroxyaluminosilicates (HASs), which reduces the bioavailable fraction of Al. Evidence indicates that solution pH is a critical factor governing HAS formation, with minimal attenuation of Al toxicity observed at pH values below 4.5. Within the plant, Si modulates the antioxidant defense system by enhancing the activity of enzymes such as catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase, thereby reducing oxidative stress typically triggered by Al toxicity. Moreover, Si influences the biosynthesis of lignin and phenolic compounds with Al-chelating capacity, contributing to detoxification at the cellular level. In soybean and rice, Si supply substantially reduced Al deposition in the root apical cell wall, with decreases of approximately 52% and 41.3%, respectively. This reduction was consistently associated with improved root elongation, maintenance of root structural integrity, mitigation of cellular deformation, and preservation of root thickness and vascular organization. Although these mechanisms have been described, a comprehensive synthesis of studies published from 2020 to 2026 has been lacking, particularly regarding the integration of in-plant processes and species-specific responses. This review fills this gap by critically examining recent findings, highlighting the multifaceted role of Si in alleviating Al stress, and discussing implications for agronomic applications in acidic soils. Collectively, the evidence underscores Si as an effective tool to enhance plant tolerance to Al; however, most available evidence is derived from early plant developmental stages and hydroponic or highly controlled systems, which limits the direct extrapolation of these findings to soil and field conditions. Future advances will require studies under soil environments, accounting for species-specific responses, soil properties, management systems, and plant developmental stages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Silicon in Crop Stress Tolerance)
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