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Surface Charge Dependent Foliar Applied Silicon Quantum Dots Enhance Soybean Salt Tolerance Through
Zhidi Chen1, Yunqian Liu1, Tianxing Shi1
1State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi, Yangling, China.
Plant, Cell & Environment
|August 4, 2026
Summary
Positively charged silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) enhance soybean salt tolerance by improving silicon uptake, photosynthesis, and root development. This surface charge modification boosts crop yield under saline conditions.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Nanotechnology
- Plant Physiology
Background:
- Soil salinity is a major threat to global food security, impacting crop yield and quality.
- Silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) show promise as nano-fertilizers, but their efficacy depends on application method and properties.
- Surface charge of nanoparticles influences their interaction with plant tissues and biological systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of foliar-applied silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) with varying surface charges on soybean salt tolerance.
- To determine if positively charged SiQDs (P-SiQDs) offer superior benefits compared to negatively charged SiQDs (N-SiQDs).
- To investigate the underlying mechanisms of SiQD-mediated salt stress alleviation in soybeans.
Main Methods:
- Soybean plants were treated with P-SiQDs and N-SiQDs under varying levels of NaCl stress.
- Foliar retention, silicon accumulation, physiological parameters, and yield were assessed.
- Thylakoid ultrastructure, photosynthetic performance, leaf metabolomics, and phyllosphere/rhizosphere microbiomes were analyzed.
- A life cycle field pot trial was conducted to evaluate yield impact.
Main Results:
- P-SiQDs demonstrated enhanced foliar retention and penetration, leading to higher leaf silicon accumulation (35.3%).
- Under 200 mM NaCl stress, P-SiQDs significantly increased shoot dry weight, reduced the Na+/K+ ratio, and improved photosynthetic performance.
- SiQDs application increased 100-seed weight by 20.1%-25.9% under salt stress.
- P-SiQDs modulated lipid metabolism, promoted beneficial phyllosphere and rhizosphere bacteria, enhanced nodulation, nitrogenase activity, and nitrogen accumulation.
Conclusions:
- Surface charge modification of SiQDs is a critical factor in optimizing their efficacy for enhancing crop salt tolerance.
- Foliar application of P-SiQDs represents a promising strategy to improve soybean yield and resilience in saline environments.
- SiQDs influence plant physiology, metabolism, and microbial communities to confer salt tolerance.
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