Silicon-Mediated Mitigation of Salt Stress in Maize Plants

High soil salinity affects plant growth, yield, and water use efficiency, leading to drought and ion toxicity. Silicon (Si), a crucial element in soil, can mitigate such stress. Si neutralizes harmful impacts, reduces Na⁺ uptake, and promotes plant growth. It benefits higher plants like grasses and cultivated crops. However, its role in maize cultivars is rarely reported. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of exogenous Si application on maize plant growth, physiology, gene activation, and phytohormonal regulation under salinity stress. Therefore, a hydroponic experiment was conducted to study the impact of salt (100 mM NaCl) on two different maize varieties, the salt-sensitive Jalal and the salt-tolerant Iqbal, along with and without Si enrichment in pots or Si foliar spray. Our findings revealed that various phenotypical growth parameters as well as physiological parameters were significantly affected due to salt stress. However, the presence of Si mitigated the stress responses in both varieties. Moreover, we found that Si application reduced the NaCl-induced effects on abscisic acid and jasmonates in both varieties. Based on our findings, we concluded that Si application may lead to a reduction of NaCl-mediated salt stress on maize plants and help the plant to grow better.