Probing the effects of silicon amendment on combined stressors on rice: Lead pollution and blast fungus (Magnaporthe oryzae) infection.

As agroecology deteriorates, agricultural production is threatened by the combined stressors of exposure to environmental pollutants and pathogenic microbes. Proper agronomic practices for crop growth management and fertilization require understanding plant tolerance strategies. Both rice blast and heavy metals substantially impair rice crops, while silicon (Si) is an effective amendment to alleviate the combined stressors. Herein, this study was conducted to investigate the rice physiology and pathology perspective on the mechanism of Si alleviation against both lead (Pb) toxicity and Magnaporthe oryzae infection, utilizing pot experiments with inoculation of the virulent Magnaporthe oryzae strain. Exogenous Si reduced the phyto-availability and plant absorption of Pb, resulting in a 73.5% reduction in exchangeable Pb concentration in soil and a 40.23% reduction in rice plants. Furthermore, Si addition boosted the plant antioxidant system by increasing the activities of related enzymes, as the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and polyphenol oxidase were significantly improved while the activity of peroxidase in rice panicles decreased. As a result, an improvement in dry matter quantity by 19.19% was observed compared to treatments without Si application, and the panicle blast severity (PBS) was reduced by 0.4-37.52%. Notwithstanding the interaction between the combined stressors, this study revealed that the speciation of Pb formation in the rhizosphere was the primary contributor to the alleviation of abiotic stresses, whereas the regulation of oxidative stress by enzymatic antioxidants played a dominant role in alleviating Magnaporthe oryzae colonization and impairments. The regulation process may reveal the mechanism of siliceous fertilizer functioning in the paddy system. Thereby the role of exogenous Si in anti-fungal, heavy metal toxicology, and plant physiology needs further study to fully elucidate the role of Si amendment, which is proposed to be considered from the perspective of soil chemistry and plant physiology.