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Silicon does not always mitigate zinc toxicity in maize

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Abstract

We have investigated the influence of silicon on higher zinc concentration reducing the growth of aboveground parts by ca 50 % in young maize plants (hybrid Novania) grown in hydroponics. Eight different treatments were used: control, Zn (800 μM ZnSO4·7H2O), Si1/Si2.5/Si5 (1/2.5/5 mM Na2SiO7) and Zn+Si (combination of zinc and all silicon concentrations). The concentration of Zn and Si and their distribution in plants was determined. The growth parameters (length of primary seminal root, leaf area of first and second leaves, fresh and dry weight of below- and above-ground plant parts) of plants grown in various Zn+Si treatments were significantly decreased in comparison to all other treatments. Increasing concentration of Si in combination with Zn treatment and selected hybrid (Novania) resulted in increased physiological stress in comparison to Zn treatment. However, roots and shoots of all Zn+Si treated plants contained significantly lower amount of Zn than Zn treatment. The Si concentration in roots was the same in Si and Zn+Si plants. In general, higher amount of Si was observed in shoots than in roots of Si1- and Si2.5-treated plants and opposite was observed in Si5-treated plants. In spite of significantly decreased root and shoot accumulation of Zn in the presence of Si, no positive effect of Si on Zn toxicity in young maize plants under experimental conditions used in this work and used maize hybrid was observed.

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract Nr. APVV-0140-10, APVV SK-CN-0016-12, VEGA 1/0817/12 and was a part of COST FA 0905 Action. One of the authors (BB) is thankful also to the Grant of Comenius University in Bratislava for young researchers UK/420/2013. The authors are thankful to Dr. E. Hiller and R. Tóth for help with geochemical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina B2, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Boris Bokor, Marek Vaculík, Ľudmila Slováková, Daniel Masarovič & Alexander Lux

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  1. Boris Bokor
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  2. Marek Vaculík
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  3. Ľudmila Slováková
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  4. Daniel Masarovič
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  5. Alexander Lux
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Correspondence to Boris Bokor.

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Communicated by J. Kovacik.

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Bokor, B., Vaculík, M., Slováková, Ľ. et al. Silicon does not always mitigate zinc toxicity in maize. Acta Physiol Plant 36, 733–743 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1451-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1451-2

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