Drought stress (DS) substantially reduces plant growth and productivity in a rainfed cropping environment. Silicon (Si) has been recognized for its potential to alleviate the detrimental effects of various environmental stresses. However, its precise mechanisms in mitigating early growth DS and its impact on related physiological and biochemical attributes remain less understood. The present study, conducted in a glasshouse us...

Aims Root system is an important regulator for unevenly distributed below-ground resource acquisition. In a rainfed cropping environment, drought stress (DS) significantly restricts root growth and moisture uptake capacity. The fact that silicon (Si) alleviates DS in wheat is widely reported, but its effects on the wheat root system remain unclear. Methods The present study investigated the effect of pre-sowing Si treatment on...