Silicon Mitigates Adverse Effects of Drought Stress in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Seedlings

The study aimed to examine the effect of silicon on spring wheat subjected to drought stress.The experiment was conducted in hydroponic conditions on 10-day old wheat seedlings.Drought stress was induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) at the concentration of 10% and 15% added to nutrient medium.Silicon was used in the form of silicic acid (H 4 SiO 4 ) at the doses of 1.0 and 1.5 mM.Silicon evidently improved growth of all plants.Under stress conditions silicon significantly increased concentration of photosynthetic pigments and lowered malondialdehyde content in leaves.Silicon also had a positive effect on nitrate supply in leaves.Applying silicon, to some extent influenced proline concentration in leaves and soluble carbohydrates content in roots.Concluding, the application of silicic acid improves growth of wheat seedlings and effectively alleviates the negative effects caused by drought stress.