VII. Effect of Nano-Silica on Alleviating Salt Stress of Soybean


Both foliar spraying and soil application of nano-silica can improve the growth of soybean under salt stress by regulating the physiological and biochemical levels of plants (such as sodium-potassium balance and photosynthesis), and promote the adaptability of plants to salt stress by regulating the composition structure of microbial communities in various soybean flora. The two application methods lead to different characteristics of microbiome responses. Foliar spraying of nano-silica mainly causes the enrichment of root endophytic beneficial bacterial groups, while soil application of nano-silica can increase the relative abundance of root and rhizosphere growth-promoting bacterial groups. In addition, nano-silica plays an important role in coping with salt stress during plant-microbe interactions by regulating key root secretions such as sugars, amino acids, organic acids and flavonoids.