Abstract:Sheath blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani infection is one of the three major pathogen-caused diseases in rice. Sodium silicate has been reported to improve the resistance of rice to sheath bright. In this study, we invested the impacts of sodium silicate on rice photosynthesis under Rhizoctonia solani (R.solani) infection. We hydroponically cultured two rice cultivars with different resistances to R.solani infection (resistant cultivar 91SP, susceptible cultivar Lemont) and characterized different photosynthetic physiological parameters.
Our experiments showed that: (1) After being inoculated with R.solani, the rice with sodium silicate application (the Si+ rice) had lower (but not statistically significant) disease rating and disease index compared to the Si- rice plants in resistant cultivar 91SP, but the Si+ rice plants of susceptible cultivar Lemont had significantly lower rating and disease index with relative control effect of 27.42% compared to the Si- rice plants. (2) After being inoculated with R.solani, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and stomatal conductance (Gs) of rice leaves were decreased significantly, while intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) was increased. After treated with exogenous sodium silicate, chlorophyll content, Pn and Gs were increased, while Ci was decreased. (3) After being inoculated with R.solani, PSⅡmaximal quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm), PSⅡeffective quantum efficiency (Fv′/Fm′), PSⅡactual photochemical efficiency (ΦPSⅡ), photochemical quenching (qP) and acyclic electron transfer late (ETR) were all decreased, but non-photochemical quenching (qNP) was increased. The Si+ rice plants showed less changes in these fluorescence parameters. (4) Si+ rice plants showed less boost in MDA contents upon R. solani inoculation in both cultivars. The results suggested that, exogenous sodium silicate application can alleviate the decreases of photosynthetic rate induced by non-stomata factors and the damage of photosynthesis system, increase photochemical efficiency, improve the foliar photosynthetic ability, reduce the degree of leaf lipid peroxidation, and enhance the rice plants resistance to sheath blight.