Interaction Between Silicon and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis: an Ecologically Sustainable Tool to Improve Crop Fitness Under a Drought Scenario?

Drought is projected to be one of the major constraints for crop production worldwide under the current climate change scenario. In this context, the improvement of yield and healthy attributes of crops that constitute the basis of human nutrition is a paramount challenge. The development of eco-friendly strategies for agricultural management of crops based on the combined use of nontoxic pollution-free fertilizers and symbiotic interactions at the soil-plant system level could be envisaged as a strategic tool to sustain the production of high-quality grains and thus satisfy the food demand of an increasing human population. A wide range of benefits of silicon (Si) on primary and secondary metabolism have been reported under water deficit stress. Moreover, current evidence suggests that the benefits derived from Si acquisition on drought-stressed plants can be enhanced by the occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis. Thus, the combined use of sustainable tools such as Si fertilization and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) could be suggested as a promising strategy to overcome the negative effects produced by water deficiency-related stress. Nevertheless, the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying this synergistic action remain poorly understood. This review explores recent research on the benefits of the joint action of Si-AMF on crop production under drought conditions. We also discuss the potential role of Si-AMF interactions on plant performance under water deficit stress.

Automated summary

Drought is a major constraint for crop production under current climate change scenario. The use of sustainable strategies, such as the combined use of silicon fertilization and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, has been suggested as a promising approach to improve crop yield and mitigate the negative effects of water deficiency stress.