Although silicon (Si) is ubiquitous in the earth’s crust, its essentiality for growth of higher plants is still under discussion. By recognising the overwhelming potential of Si in alleviating a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses, the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials and the International Plant Nutrition Institute, Georgia, USA, have designated Si as a plant ‘beneficial substance’ in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Sugarcane is a Si-accumulating crop which strongly responds to Si fertilisation especially in Si-deficient soil. Due to intensive weathering prevailing in humid and sub-humid regions, most of the soil-available Si, taken up by plants in the form of monosilicic acid (H 4 SiO 4 ), is lost through leaching. If the concentration of monosilicic acid is being maintained at a fixed level by soil reserves, the highly weathered soils of humid and sub-humid regions tend to become depleted in Si if continuously cultivated with sugarcane. Hence, leaching of Si from the soil coupled with plant uptake is an important factor in determining Si concentrations in soil. Consequently, it can be said that the intensive cultivation of sugarcane depletes the existing low available Si content in soil, resulting in necessity for Si fertilisation. Moreover, the uptake of Si by sugarcane (500–700 kg Si ha −1 ) sometimes surpasses those of the macronutrients (especially N, P and K). At the same time, due to change in global climate and monoculture system followed in sugarcane, it is affected by a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses in field condition which calls for external Si supplementation to achieve sustainable growth and yield of sugarcane. The beneficial effects of Si in sugarcane include improvement of photosynthesis and lodging, enhancement of growth and development, regulation of reactive oxygen species, protection from soil salinity, reduction in metal toxicity, alleviation of freeze damage, mitigation of water stress and suppression of diseases and pests. In this review, we made an effort to compile the existing literature describing the potential of Si in promoting defence against various biotic and abiotic stresses in sugarcane and suggested possible future research perspectives.

中文翻译：

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硅在促进甘蔗生物和非生物胁迫防御方面的潜力概述

尽管硅 (Si) 在地壳中无处不在，但其对高等植物生长的必要性仍在讨论中。通过认识到硅在缓解各种生物和非生物胁迫方面的巨大潜力，美国植物食品控制官员协会和美国佐治亚州国际植物营养研究所于 2014 年将硅指定为植物“有益物质”，并且2015 年，分别。甘蔗是一种积硅作物，对硅施肥反应强烈，尤其是在缺硅土壤中。由于潮湿和半湿润地区的强烈风化作用，植物吸收的大部分土壤有效硅以单硅酸 (H 4 SiO 4 ) 的形式通过浸出而流失。如果土壤储备将单硅酸的浓度保持在固定水平，如果持续种植甘蔗，潮湿和半湿润地区的高度风化土壤往往会耗尽硅。因此，土壤中硅的浸出和植物的吸收是确定土壤中硅浓度的一个重要因素。因此，可以说甘蔗的集约化种植消耗了土壤中现有的低有效硅含量，导致需要施硅肥。此外，甘蔗（500-700 kg Si ha -1 ）对Si 的吸收有时会超过常量营养素（尤其是N、P 和K）的吸收。同时，由于全球气候变化和甘蔗单一栽培体系，田间条件下受到多种生物和非生物胁迫的影响，需要外部补充硅以实现甘蔗的可持续生长和产量。硅在甘蔗中的有益作用包括改善光合作用和倒伏、促进生长和发育、调节活性氧、防止土壤盐分、减少金属毒性、减轻冻害、缓解水分胁迫和抑制疾病和害虫。在这篇综述中，我们努力汇编了现有文献，这些文献描述了硅在促进甘蔗各种生物和非生物胁迫防御方面的潜力，并提出了未来可能的研究前景。缓解缺水压力和抑制病虫害。在这篇综述中，我们努力汇编了现有文献，这些文献描述了硅在促进甘蔗各种生物和非生物胁迫防御方面的潜力，并提出了未来可能的研究前景。缓解缺水压力和抑制病虫害。在这篇综述中，我们努力汇编了现有文献，这些文献描述了硅在促进甘蔗各种生物和非生物胁迫防御方面的潜力，并提出了未来可能的研究前景。