Foliar Silicon Alleviates Water Deficit in Cowpea by Enhancing Nutrient Uptake, Proline Accumulation, and Antioxidant Activity
Silicon has emerged as a beneficial element in mitigating water deficit in various crops, although the underlying mechanisms still require further investigation. This study evaluated the foliar content of nutrients (N, P, K, and Ca) and proline, antioxidant activity, growth, water use efficiency, and yield of cowpea cultivars subjected to two irrigation depths (50% and 100% of crop evapotranspiration) and a foliar application of silicon (orthosilicic acid). A field experiment was conducted in a split-plot scheme using the randomized block design with four replications in a semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. Silicon supplementation increased the foliar contents of N, P, and Ca; stimulated proline synthesis; and enhanced the activity of the SOD, CAT, and APX enzymes. These changes promoted growth, improved water use efficiency, and increased crop yield. The results indicate that foliar silicon application mitigates the effects of water deficit in cowpea plants while enhancing crop performance under full irrigation (100% of crop evapotranspiration), leading to higher yields even under favorable water conditions.
Authors
- Larissa Lanay Germano de Queiroz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3716-6720)
- Francisco de Oliveira Mesquita (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8580-079X)
- Guilherme Félix Dias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5304-6518)
- Samuel Saldanha Rodrigues
- Rennan Fernandes Pereira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2994-3737)
- Evandro Franklin de Mesquita (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5722-2235)
- Anailson de Sousa Alves (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5931-3162)
- Rayanne Silva de Alencar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6688-1950)
- Alberto Soares de Melo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4586-5388)
- Karoline Thays Andrade Araújo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9356-3288)
- José Paulo Costa Diniz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9247-8970)
- Caio da Silva Sousa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4163-8313)
- Lays Lins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8074-7291)
- Vitória Carolina da Silva Soares (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1519-1853)
- Patrícia da Silva Costa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4174-6429)
- J. Pires
Institutions
- Universidade Estadual da Paraíba (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Plants
- Published
- 2025-04-19
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14081241
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Silicon Effects in Agriculture
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.25
Funders
- Universidade Estadual da Paraíba
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Estado da Paraíba