Impact of silicon on maize seedlings exposed to short-term UV-B irradiation

Enhanced UV-B irradiation is one of the most important abiotic stresses that can influence various aspects of plant morphology, biochemistry and physiology. Silicon as a beneficial element can increase the plant’s tolerance against different abiotic stresses, including UV-B stress. In this work, the effect of silicon supplementation on the sensitivity of young maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings exposed to short-term UV-B radiation was studied. The seedlings were grown with 0 or 5 mM silicon in cultivation medium and on the fifth day of cultivation, they were exposed for 15 and 30 min to UV-B (302 nm) radiation. No significant changes in growth and content of assimilation pigments and the chlorophyll a/b ratio were observed in any of tested irradiation periods in control or Si-treated plants. Under UV-B stress, the content of ROS (hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radical) and TBARS increased in control plants. The oxidative status of Si-treated plants was only slightly affected even after 30 min. Phenolic metabolites (total phenols and flavonoids), important for their screening function under radiation stress, slightly increased after UV-B exposure in control plants, however, only flavonoids increased after 30 min in Si-treated plants. The measured parameters indicated that to some extent silicon supplementation contributes to higher UV-B tolerance of maize seedlings.