Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) leaf blast caused by Pyricularia grisea is a common disease and results in severe yield losses. Noble element silicon (Si) effectively mitigates both biotic and abiotic stresses and is known to enhance plant resistance against fungal and bacterial pathogens. The results revealed that there are potential positive effects of silicon application in soil to suppress the blast disease in finger millet genotypes. Among various treatments, 3 g calcium silicate/kg of soil was found to be most effective in enhancing resistance to blast followed by 2 g calcium silicate/kg of soil and 1 g calcium silicate/kg of soil treatments. Silicon content in leaf, stem, and root increased significantly over non-treated plants. A significant negative correlation was observed between silicon accumulation in the plants (leaf, stem, and root) and percent disease index. Both principal component analysis and cluster analysis revealed that among 40 genotypes tested, six genotypes such as ‘Suvra’, ‘GE-2740’, ‘NO-2836’, ‘GE-320’, ‘OEB-532’, and ‘GE-1135’ showed higher silicon accumulation with enhanced plant resistance along with the desired traits. Therefore, silicon accumulating genotypes can be used for the breeding program. Further, this study confirmed the positive effect of Si in enhancing the blast resistance in finger millets through the physical barrier mechanism by inhibiting the fungal penetration and colonization in cell and it can provide an alternative eco-friendly disease management strategy.

中文翻译：

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硅 (Si) 可增强手指小米基因型对稻瘟病的抵抗力

由 Pyricularia grisea 引起的手指粟（Eleusine coracana）叶瘟是一种常见病害，会导致严重的产量损失。贵元素硅 (Si) 可有效缓解生物和非生物胁迫，并且已知可增强植物对真菌和细菌病原体的抵抗力。结果表明，在土壤中施用硅对抑制手指小米基因型的稻瘟病具有潜在的积极作用。在各种处理中，发现 3 g 硅酸钙/kg 土壤在增强抗瘟性方面最有效，其次是 2 g 硅酸钙/kg 土壤和 1 g 硅酸钙/kg 土壤处理。与未处理植物相比，叶、茎和根中的硅含量显着增加。在植物（叶、茎、和根）和百分比疾病指数。主成分分析和聚类分析均显示，在测试的 40 个基因型中，有 6 个基因型，例如“Suvra”、“GE-2740”、“NO-2836”、“GE-320”、“OEB-532”和“GE- 1135' 显示出更高的硅积累和增强的植物抗性以及所需的性状。因此，聚硅基因型可用于育种计划。此外，该研究证实了硅通过抑制真菌在细胞中的渗透和定植，通过物理屏障机制增强手指小米的抗瘟性，并且可以提供一种替代的生态友好型疾病管理策略。'GE-320'、'OEB-532' 和 'GE-1135' 显示出更高的硅积累和增强的植物抗性以及所需的性状。因此，聚硅基因型可用于育种计划。此外，该研究证实了硅通过抑制真菌在细胞中的渗透和定植，通过物理屏障机制增强手指小米的抗瘟性，并且可以提供一种替代的生态友好型疾病管理策略。'GE-320'、'OEB-532' 和 'GE-1135' 显示出更高的硅积累和增强的植物抗性以及所需的性状。因此，聚硅基因型可用于育种计划。此外，该研究证实了硅通过抑制真菌在细胞中的渗透和定植，通过物理屏障机制增强手指小米的抗瘟性，并且可以提供一种替代的生态友好型疾病管理策略。