Abstract
This study aimed to determine the effect of silicon and silicate salts in reducing the incidence of white rot disease, caused by Stromatinia cepivora, on onion and garlic plants. Under greenhouse conditions silicon and silicate salts was used at 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3%. Before planting, onion transplants and/or garlic cloves were dipped for 1 h in the desired concentration. After planting, stem bases of plants were supplemented with the same concentration three times intervals at 30, 60 and 90 days after planting. Data showed that successful application resulted from silicon and silicate salts was obtained at 0.3%, which significantly reduced the incidence of white rot and improved the growth of onion and garlic plants. However, there were no significant differences between some treatments at 0.1, 0.2 and/or 0.3%. Field experiments were conducted in soils naturally infested with S. cepivora for 2 years to evaluate the effect of silicon and silicate salts at 0.3% on white rot incidence as well as the mechanisms underlying the observed of disease reduction. Application of silicon and silicate salts significantly reduced the incidence of white rot disease, increased the amount of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, proline and promoted the bulbs yield of onion and garlic plants. Potassium silicate solution (Ps) and sodium meta silicate pentahydrate (Ss) were more effective treatments. Calcium silicate was the least effective treatment. Application of silicon and silicate salts resulted in the increase of soil dehydrogenase enzyme and CO2 evolution in the rhizospheric soil of onion and garlic plants. Applications of silicon and silicate salts significantly stimulated systemic defense enzymes and enhanced the expressions of some genes into proteins in onion and garlic plants. These findings suggest that silicon and silicate salts reduced the incidence of white rot disease and exerts a beneficial effect on the field-grown garlic and onion plants, providing an alternative disease management strategy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abd El-Moity TH (1976) Studies on the biological control of white rot disease of onion. MSc Dissertation, Faculty of Agric Menofia Univ Egypt, p 135
Abd-El-Kareem F, Elshahawy IE, Abd-Elgawad MMM (2019) Management of strawberry leaf blight disease caused by Phomopsis obscurans using silicate salts under field conditions. Bull of the Nat Res Centre 43:1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-018-0041-2
Abd-Elrazik AA, Shatla MN, Rushdi M (1973) Studies on the infection of onion plants by Sclerotium cepivorum Berk. Phytopath Z 76:108–116. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.1973.tb02649.x
Adams PB, Johnston SA (1983) Factors affecting efficacy of metham applied through sprinkler irrigation for control of Allium white rot. Plant Dis 67:978–980. https://doi.org/10.1094/PD-67-978
Al-Aghabary K, Zhu Z, Shi QH (2004) Influence of silicon supply on chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidative enzyme activities in tomato plants under salt stress. J Plant Nutr 27:2101–2115. https://doi.org/10.1081/PLN-200034641
Bashan Y, Okon Y, Henis Y (1985) Peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenols in relation to resistance against 214 Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato in tomato plants. Can J Bot 65:366–372. https://doi.org/10.1139/b87-047
Bates LS, Wladren RP, Teare ID (1973) Rapid determination of free proline for water-stress studies. Plant Soil 39:205–207. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00018060
Bekker TF, Kaiser C, Van Der Merwe R, Labuschagne N (2006) In vitro inhibition of mycelial growth of several phytopathogenic fungi by soluble potassium silicate. S Afr J Plant Soil 23:169–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/02571862.2006.10634750
Belanger RR, Bowen PA, Ehret DL, Menzies JG (1995) Soluble silicon: its role in crop and disease management of greenhouse crops. Plant Dis 79:329–336. https://doi.org/10.1094/PD-79-0329
Bi Y, Tian SP, Guo YR, Ge YH, Qin GZ (2006) Sodium silicate reduces postharvest decay on Hami melons: Induced resistance and fungistatic effects. Plant Dis 90:279–283. https://doi.org/10.1094/PD-90-0279
Brix HD, Zinkernagel V (1992) Effects of cultivation, conditioning and isolate on sclerotium germination in Sclerotium cepivorum. Plant Pathol 41:13–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.1992.tb02309.x
Cai K, Gao D, Chen J, Luo S (2009) Probing the mechanisms of silicon-mediated pathogen resistance. Plant Signal Behav 4:1–3. https://doi.org/10.4161/psb.4.1.7280
Carlile MJ, Watkinson SC, Gooday GW (2001) The Fungi, 2nd edn. Academic, New York
Casida LE, Klein DA, Santoro T (1964) Soil dehydrogenase activity. Soil Sci Soc Am J 47:599–603
Cherif M, Belanger RR (1992) Use of potassium silicate amendments in recirculating nutrient solutions to suppress Pythium ultimum on long English cucumber. Plant Dis 76:1008–1011
Cherif M, Menzies JG, Benhamou N, Belanger RR (1992) Studies of silicon distribution in wounded and Pythium ultimum infected cucumber plants. Physiol Mol Plant Pathol 41:371–385. https://doi.org/10.1016/0885-5765(92)90022-N
Cherif M, Asselin A, Belanger RR (1994a) Defense responses induced by soluble silicon in cucumber roots infected by Pythium spp. Phytopathology 84:236–242. https://doi.org/10.1094/phyto-84-236
Cherif M, Menzies JG, Ehret DL, Bogdanoff C, Belanger RR (1994b) Yield of cucumber infected with Pythium aphanidermatum when grown with soluble silicon. Hortic Sci 29:896–897. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.29.8.896
Chitravadivu C, Balakrishnan V, Manikandan J, Elavazhagan T, Jayakumar S (2009) Application of food waste compost on soil microbial population in groundnut cultivated soil, India. Middle East J Sci Res 4:90–93
Coley-Smith JR (1960) Studies of the biology of Sclerotium cepivorum Berk. Ann Appl Biol 48:8–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7348.1960.tb03498.x
Coley-Smith JR, Cooke CR (1971) Survival and germination of fungal sclerotia. Annu Rev Phytopathol 9:65–92. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.py.09.090171.000433
Coley-Smith JR, Parfitt D (1986) Some effects of diallyldisulphide on sclerotia of Sclerotium cepivorum: Possible novel control method for white rot disease of onions. Pestic Sci 17:587–594. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.2780170516
Crowe FJ, Hall DH (1980) Vertical distribution of sclerotia of Sclerotium cepivorum and host root systems relative to white rot of onion and garlic. Phytopathology 70:70–73. https://doi.org/10.1094/Phyto-70-70
Crowe FJ, Hall DH, Greathead AS, Baghott KG (1980) Inoculum density of Sclerotium cepivorum and the incidence of white rot of onion and garlic. Phytopathology 70:64–69. https://doi.org/10.1094/Phyto-70-64
Crowe F, Darnell T, Thornton M, Davis M, Mcgrath D, Koepsell P, Redondo E, Laborde J (1993) White rot control studies show promise of better future. Onion World 9:22–25
Dallagnol LJ, Rodrigues FA, Pascholati SF, Fortunato AA, Camargo LEA (2015) Comparison of root and foliar applications of potassium silicate in potentiating post-infection defences of melon against powdery mildew. Plant Pathol 64:1085–1093. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.12346
Dann E, Muir S (2002) Peas grown in media with elevated plant-available silicon levels have higher activities of chitinases and β-1,3-glucanase, are less susceptible to a fungal leaf spot pathogen and accumulate more foliar silicon. Australas Plant Path 31:9–13. https://doi.org/10.1071/AP01047
Dannon EA, Wydra K (2004) Interaction between silicon amendment, bacterial wilt development and phenotype of Ralstonia solanacearum in tomato genotypes. Physiol Mol Plant Pathol 64:233–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmpp.2004.09.006
Datnoff LE, Rodrigues FA, Seebold KW (2007) Silicon and plant disease. In: Datnoff LE, Elmer WH, Huber DM (eds) Mineral Nutrition and Plant Disease. APS Press, St. Paul, pp 233–246
Diogo RVC, Wydra K (2007) Silicon-induced basal resistance in tomato against Ralstonia solanacearum is related to modification of pectic cell wall polysaccharide structure. Physiol Mol Plant Pathol 70:120–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmpp.2007.07.008
Elshahawy IE, Abd-El-Kareem F, Saied N, Morsy AA (2017a) Biocontrol of onion white rot by application of Trichoderma species formulated on wheat bran powder. Arch Phytopathol Plant Protect 50:150–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/03235408.2016.276423
Elshahawy IE, Saied N, Abd-El-Kareem F, Morsy AA (2017b) Field application of sclerotial mycoparasites as biocontrol agents to Stromatinia cepivora the cause of onion white rot. J Plant Pathol 99:391–401. https://doi.org/10.4454/jpp.v99i2.3888
Elshahawy IE, Abd-El-Kareem F, Saied N, MorsyAA, Hozien M (2018a) Effect of inoculum density of Stromatinia cepivora on the ability of sclerotial mycoparasites to suppress white rot in garlic. J Dis Med Plants 4:48–58. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jdmp.20180402.12
Elshahawy IE, Saied N, Abd-El-Kareem F, Morsy AA (2018b) Field application of selected bacterial strains and their combinations for controlling onion and garlic white rot disease caused by Stromatinia cepivora. J Plant Pathol 100:493–503. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-018-0113-z
Elshahawy IE, MorsyA A, Abd-El-Kareem F, Saied N (2019) Reduction of Stromatinia cepivora inocula and control of white rot disease in onion and garlic crops by repeated soil applications with sclerotial germination stimulants. Heliyon 5(1):e01168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01168
Elsharkawy MM, Hase T, Shimizu M, Hyakumachi M (2015) Suppressive effects of a polymer sodium silicate solution on powdery mildew and root rot diseases of miniature rose. Afr J Biotechnol 14:2917–2927. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJB2015.14649
Entwistle AR (1990) Allium white rot and its control. Soil Use Manag 6:201–209. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-2743.1990.tb00836.x
Fauteux F, Rémus-Borel W, Menzies J, Belanger R (2005) Silicon and plant disease resistance against pathogenic fungi. FEMS Microbiol Lett 249:1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.femsle.2005.06.034
Fawe A, Abou-Zaid M, Menzies JG, Bélanger RR (1998) Silicon mediated accumulation of flavonoid phytoalexins in cucumber. Phytopathology 88:396–401. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO.1998.88.5.396
Fengying X, Xiujuan Z, Xiaoling W (2014) Effect of liquid silicon potash fertilizer on canopy structure, photosynthetic characteristics and yield in rice. Jiangsu J Agr Sci 30:67–72
Fortunato AA, Rodrigues FA, Baroni PJC, Soares BGC, Rodriguez DMA, Pereira OL (2012) Silicon suppresses Fusarium wilt development in banana plants. J Phytopathol 160:674–679. https://doi.org/10.1111/jph.12005
French-Monar RD, Rodrigues FA, Korndorfer GH, Datnoff LE (2010) Silicon suppresses Phytophthora blight development on bell pepper. J Phytopathol 158:554–560. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.2009.01665.x
George NM, Ghareeb A (2001) Genotoxicity of insecticide cyolan on mitosis, meiosis and seed storage proteins of Vicia faba. Cytologia 66:77–84. https://doi.org/10.1508/cytologia.66.77
Gomez KA, Gomez AA (1984) Statistical Procedures for Agricultural Research, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York
Haiba AA, Abd EL-Hamid NR, Abd EL-Hady EA, AL-Ansary AM (2011) Cytogenetic effect of insecticide Tellition and fungicide Dithane M 45 on meiotic cells and seed storage proteins of Vicia faba. Am J Sci 7(1):19–25
Heine G, Tikum G, Horst W (2007) The effect of silicon on the infection by and spread of Pythium aphanidermatum in single roots of tomato and bitter gourd. J Exp Bot 58:569–577. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erl232
Huang C, Roberts PD, Datnoff LE (2011) Silicon suppresses Fusarium crown and root rot of tomato. J Phytopathol 159:546–554. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.2011.01803.x
Jafari H, Madani H, Dastan S, Malidarreh AG, Mohammadi B (2013) Effect of nitrogen and silicon fertilizer on rice growth in two irrigation regimes. Int J Plant Prod 4:3756–3761
Jayawardana HARK, Weerahewa HLD, Saparamadu MDJS (2014) Effect of root or foliar application of soluble silicon on plant growth, fruit quality and anthracnose development of capsicum. Trop Agric Res 26:74–81. https://doi.org/10.4038/tar.v26i1.8073
Jones LHP, Handreck KA (1967) Silica in soils, plants and animals. Adv Agron 19:107–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2113(08)60734-8
Kanto K, Akihiro M, Takuya O, Kazumasa M, Masataka A (2006) Suppressive effect of liquid potassium silicate on powdery mildew of strawberry in soil. J Gen Plant Pathol 72:137–142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10327-005-0270-8
Kanto T, Maekawa K, Aino M (2007) Suppression of conidial germination and appressorial formation by silicate treatment in powdery mildew of strawberry. J Gen Plant Pathol 73:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10327-006-0311-y
Khalifa MMA, Fetian AH, Abdel Magid MS, El-Sheery NI (2017) Effectiveness of potassium silicate in suppression white rot disease and enhancement physiological resistance of onion plants, and its role on the soil microbial community. Middle East J Agric Res 6:376–394. https://doi.org/10.1011/s11738-008-0182-x
Königer M, Winter K (1993) Reduction of photosynthesis in sun leaves of Gossypium hirsutum L under conditions of highlight intensities and suboptimal leaf temperatures. Plant Physiol 13:659–668. https://doi.org/10.1051/agro:19930710
Laemmli UK (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227:680–685. https://doi.org/10.1038/227680a0
Lee TT (1973) On extraction and quantitation of plant peroxidase isoenzymes. Physiol Plant 29:198–203. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-3054.1973.tb03092.x
Liang YC, Si J, Romheld V (2005a) Silicon uptake and transport is an active process in Cucumis sativus. New Phytol 167:797–804. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2005.01463.x
Liang YC, Sun WC, Si J, Romheld V (2005b) Effects of foliar- and root-applied silicon on the enhancement of induced resistance to powdery mildew in Cucumi ssativus. Plant Pathol 54:678–685. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.2005.01246.x
Ma JF, Yamaji N (2006) Silicon uptake and accumulation in higher plants. Trends Plant Sci 11:392–397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2006.06.007
Ma JF, Yamaji N (2008) Functions and transport of silicon in plants. Cell Mol Life Sci 65:3049–3057. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-008-7580-x
Maekawa K, Watanabe K, Kanto T, Aino M, Saigusa M (2003) Effect of soluble silicic acid on suppression of rice leaf blast. Jpn J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 74:293–299
Malhotra C, Kapoor RT (2015) Stimulating impact of silicon supplementation on the growth and biochemical parameters of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. Int J Comput Biol Sci 8:1–9
Merriman PR, Sutherl JL (1978) Studies on the control of Sclerotium cepicorum Berk. in onions. Australas Plant Path 7:29–30
Miyake Y, Takahashi E (1983) Effect of silicon on the growth of cucumber plant in soil culture. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 29:463–471. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380768.1983.10434649
Monreal J, Reese ET (1969) The chitinase of Serratia marcescens. Can J Microbiol 15:689–696. https://doi.org/10.1139/m69-122
Nada MGA, Imarah DA, Halawa AEA (2014) Efficiency of some silicon sources for controlling damping-off of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) in Egypt. Egypt J Phytopathol 42:73–90
Perucci P (1992) Enzyme activity and microbial biomass in a field soil amended with municipal refuse. Biol Fertil Soils 14:54–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336303
Pramer D, Schmidt EL (1964) Experimental Soil Microbiology. Burgess Publisher Company, Minnesota, p 147
Rodgers-Gray B, Shaw M (2004) Effects of straw and silicon soil amendments on some foliar and stem-base diseases in pot-grown winter wheat. Plant Pathol 53:733–740. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.2004.01102.x
Rodrigues FA, Benhamou N, Datnoff JB, Jones B, Bélanger RR (2003) Ultrastructural and cytochemical aspects of silicon-mediated rice blast resistance. Phytopathology 93:535–546. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO.2003.93.5.535
Rodrigues F, Duarte HSS, Rezende DC, WordellFilho JA, Korndörfer GH, Zambolim L (2010) Foliar spray of potassium silicate on the control of angular leaf spot on beans. J Plant Nutr 33:2082–2093. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2010.519082
Schurt DA, Cruz MFA, Nascimento KJT, Filippi MCC, Rodrigues FA (2014) Silicon potentiates the activities of defense enzymes in the leaf sheaths of rice plants infected by Rhizoctonia solani. Trop Plant Pathol 39:457–463. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1982-56762014000600007
Shekari F, Abbasi A, Mustafavi SH (2015) Effect of silicon and selenium on enzymatic changes and productivity of dill in saline condition. Saudi Soc Agric Sci 16(4):367–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssas.2015.11.006
Shen GH, Xue QH, Tang M, Chen Q, Wang LN, Duan CM, Xue L, Zhoo J (2010) Inhibitory effects of potassium silicate of five soil-borne phytopathogenic fungi in vitro. J Plant Dis Protect 117:180–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03356358
Studier FW (1973) Analysis of bacteriophage T1 early RNAs and proteins of slab gels. J Mol Biol 79:237–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-2836(73)90003-x
Sun X, Sun Y, Zhang C, Song Z, Chen J, Bai J, Cui Y, Zhang C (1994) The mechanism of corn stalk rot control by application of potassic and siliceous fertilizers. Acta Phytophysiologica Sin 21:102–108
Ulacio-Osorio D, Zavaleta-Mejia E, Martinez-Garza A, Pedroza-Sandoval A (2006) Strategies for management of Sclerotium cepivorum Berk. in garlic. J Plant Pathol 88:253–2561
Utkhede RS, Rahe JE (1979) Wet sieving flotation technique for isolation of sclerotia of Sclerotium cepivorum from Muck soil. Phytopathology 69:295 e297. https://doi.org/10.1094/Phyto-69-295
Van Bockhaven J, Vleesschauwer DD, Hofte M (2013) Towards establishing broad-spectrum disease resistance in plants: silicon leads the way. J Exp Bot 64:1281–1293. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ers329
Vermeire ML, Kablan L, Dorel M, Delvaux B, Rise`de JM, Legre`ve A (2011) Protective role of silicon in the banana-Cylindrocladium spathiphylli pathosystem. Eur J Plant Pathol 131:621–630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-011-9835-x
Whan JA, Dann EK, Aitken EAB (2016) Effects of silicon treatment and inoculation with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum on cellular defences in root tissues of two cotton cultivars. Ann Bot 118:219–226. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcw095
Yang YF, Liang YC, Lou YS, Sun WC (2003) Influences of silicon on peroxidase, superoxide dismutase activity and lignin content in leaves of wheat Tritium aestivum L. and its relation to resistance to powdery mildew. Sci Agric Sin 36:813–817
Yasuto M, Eiichi T (1983) Effect of silicon on the growth of cucumber plant in soil culture. Soil Sci Plant 29(4):463–471. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380768.1983.10434649
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the National Research Centre for the financial support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Statement of human and animal rights
This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.
Electronic supplementary material
ESM 1
(DOCX 24.5 KB)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Elshahawy, I.E., Osman, S.A. & Abd-El-Kareem, F. Protective effects of silicon and silicate salts against white rot disease of onion and garlic, caused by Stromatinia cepivora. J Plant Pathol 103, 27–43 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-020-00685-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-020-00685-1