Physiological Response of Oat (<i>Avena sativa</i> L.) to the Foliar Application of Silicon in Conditions of Increased soil Salinity

Abstract

Plants are exposed in the environment to many unfavorable factors that limit their growth and yield. One of them is salt stress. The study was conducted to assess the effect of silicon foliar fertilization on the process of photosynthesis and the activity of oat plants (Avena sativa L.) under salt stress. Plants grown in a pot experiment were subjected to soil treatment with sodium chloride (NaCl) at a concentration of 200 mM. Three concentrations of Optysil (200 g∙L−1 SiO2) were used. The results of the study indicated that the exogenous application of silicon improved the tolerance of oat to salinity.

Keywords

• chlorophyll fluorescence
• gas exchange
• plant stress