Salt stress represents a significant abiotic stress factor that impedes the growth of rice. Nano-silicon has the potential to enhance rice growth and salt tolerance. In this experiment, the rice variety 9311 was employed as the test material to simulate salt stress via hydroponics, with the objective of investigating the mitigation effect of foliar application of nano-silicon on rice seedlings. The results demonstrated that NaCl stress markedly impeded the growth of rice seedlings after seven days of NaCl treatment. The foliar application of nano-silicon followed by NaCl stress alleviated the growth of rice seedlings, markedly improved the spatial conformation of the root system, and enhanced photosynthesis compared with that of NaCl stress alone. The activities of antioxidant enzymes were improved. The contents of antioxidants were increased, and the over-accumulation of ROS was reduced. Furthermore, the foliar application of nano-silicon was found to enhance the uptake of Si4+, K+, and Ca2+ in plants, while simultaneously reducing Na+ and Cl- accumulation. Additionally, the content of IAA, CTK, GA, JA, and SA was increased, and ABA was decreased. In conclusion, the foliar application of nano-silicon has been demonstrated to alleviate salt stress injury and improve the growth of rice seedlings.
Keywords: antioxidant system; endogenous hormones; ion balance; nano-silicon; rice; salt stress.