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Silicon and Its Physiological Role in Plant Growth and Development
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Silicon and Its Physiological Role in Plant Growth and Development

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Development and Morphogenesis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 712

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jonas Pereira de Souza Junior

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, FL 33850, USA
Interests: plant nutrition; beneficial element; stress physiology; silicon use in agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to a Special Issue of Plants entitled ‘Silicon and its Physiological Role in Plant Growth and Development’. This Special Issue seeks to delve into the physiological and metabolic mechanisms underlying silicon’s (Si) influence on plant growth, development, and resilience.

Silicon plays a pivotal role in regulating cellular processes, metabolic pathways, and physiological functions that drive plant health and productivity. Beyond its well-known contributions to stress tolerance, Si is now recognized for its impact on nutrient dynamics, photosynthesis, and biochemical signaling. This Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of how silicon mediates these processes, shedding light on its transformative potential in plant science and agriculture.

We encourage submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • Physiological effects of silicon on plant growth and nutrient uptake;
  • Silicon-driven metabolic pathways, including antioxidant activity and secondary metabolite production;
  • Silicon’s role in enhancing photosynthetic efficiency and energy utilization;
  • Molecular signaling and transcriptional changes associated with silicon;
  • Interactions between silicon and other nutrients at the physiological level;
  • Innovations in methodologies to study silicon’s role in plant physiology.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles and comprehensive reviews and perspectives that focus on uncovering silicon’s physiological functions and metabolic impacts. We aim to foster a deeper understanding of Si’s role in plant development and its application in sustainable agriculture.

We look forward to your contributions!

Dr. Jonas Pereira de Souza Junior
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Plants 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 2700 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 (Si)
  • plant growth
  • plant development
  • abiotic stress
  • biotic stress
  • nutrient uptake
  • crop improvement
  • sustainable agriculture

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 8048 KiB  
Article
Silicon Nanoparticles Alter Soybean Physiology and Improve Nitrogen Fixation Potential Under Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
by Jingbo Tong
Plants 2025, 14(13), 2009; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14132009 - 30 Jun 2025
Abstract
The interactive effects between nano-silicon dioxide (n-SiO2) and elevated CO2 (eCO2; 645 ppm) on soybean physiology, nitrogen fixation, and nutrient dynamics under climate stress remain underexplored. This study elucidates their combined effects under ambient (aCO2 [...] Read more.
The interactive effects between nano-silicon dioxide (n-SiO2) and elevated CO2 (eCO2; 645 ppm) on soybean physiology, nitrogen fixation, and nutrient dynamics under climate stress remain underexplored. This study elucidates their combined effects under ambient (aCO2; 410 ppm) and eCO2 conditions. eCO2 + n-SiO2 synergistically enhanced shoot length (30%), total chlorophyll (112.15%), and photosynthetic rate (103.23%), alongside improved stomatal conductance and intercellular CO2 (17.19%), optimizing carbon assimilation. Nodulation efficiency increased, with nodule number and biomass rising by 48.3% and 53.6%, respectively, under eCO2 + n-SiO2 versus aCO2. N-assimilation enzymes (nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase) surged by 38.5–52.1%, enhancing nitrogen metabolism. Concurrently, phytohormones (16–21%) and antioxidant activities (15–22%) increased, reducing oxidative markers (18–22%), and bolstering stress resilience. Nutrient homeostasis improved, with P, K, Mg, Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn elevating in roots (13–41%) and shoots (13–17%), except shoot Fe and Zn. These findings demonstrate that n-SiO2 potentiates eCO2-driven benefits, amplifying photosynthetic efficiency, nitrogen fixation, and stress adaptation through enhanced biochemical and nutrient regulation. This synergy underscores n-SiO2 role in optimizing crop performance under future CO2-rich climates, advocating nano-fertilizers as sustainable tools for climate-resilient agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silicon and Its Physiological Role in Plant Growth and Development)
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Graphical abstract

15 pages, 1742 KiB  
Article
Silicon Reduce Structural Carbon Components and Its Potential to Regulate the Physiological Traits of Plants
by Baiying Huang, Danghui Xu, Wenhong Zhou, Yuqi Wu and Wei Mou
Plants 2025, 14(12), 1779; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14121779 - 11 Jun 2025
Viewed by 307
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) and silicon (Si) could profoundly affect the net primary productivity (ANPP) of grassland ecosystems. However, how ecosystem biomass will respond to different Si addition, especially under a concurrent increase in P fertilization, remains limited. With persistent demand for grassland utilization, there [...] Read more.
Phosphorus (P) and silicon (Si) could profoundly affect the net primary productivity (ANPP) of grassland ecosystems. However, how ecosystem biomass will respond to different Si addition, especially under a concurrent increase in P fertilization, remains limited. With persistent demand for grassland utilization, there is a need to enhance and sustain the productivity of grasslands on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Three P addition rates (0, 400, 800, and 1200 kg Ca(H2PO4)2 ha−1 yr−1) without Si and with Si (14.36 kg H4SiO4 ha−1 yr−1) were applied to alpine grassland on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau to evaluate the responses of aboveground biomass and the underlying mechanisms linking to structural carbon composition and physiological traits of grasses and forbs. Our results show that the application of Si significantly reduced the lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and total phenol contents of both grasses and forbs. Additionally, the addition of P, Si, and phosphorus and silicon (PSi) co-application significantly increased the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and light use efficiency (LUE) of grasses and forbs. Moreover, Si promoted the absorption of N and P by plants, resulting in significant changes in the Si:C, Si:P, and Si:N ratios and increasing the aboveground biomass. Our findings suggest that Si can replace structural carbohydrates and regulate the absorption and utilization of N and P to optimize the photosynthetic process of leaves, thereby achieving greater biomass. In summary, Si supplementation improves ecosystem stability in alpine meadows by optimizing plant functions and increasing biomass accumulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silicon and Its Physiological Role in Plant Growth and Development)
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