Mechanistic Roles of Bioengineered Silicon-Containing Nanoparticles in Enhancing Plant Abiotic Stress Tolerance

The growing threat of abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and temperature extremes poses significant challenges to global agriculture, affecting crop yield and sustainability. While traditional mitigation strategies offer limited effectiveness, emerging approaches integrating nanotechnology and plant signaling molecules are showing transformative potential. Nanomaterials, particularly when combined with phytohormones and signaling compounds, can enhance plant physiological and biochemical responses, improving resilience under stress conditions. Metal nanoparticles have emerged as promising tools across various fields, especially in sustainable agriculture. Green synthesis using natural reductants like plant extracts, vitamins, and sugars offers an eco-friendly approach. This method supports large-scale, cost-effective nanoparticle production. By bridging traditional knowledge with modern innovation, it addresses both nutritional and environmental challenges, positioning green nanotechnology as pivotal in advancing sustainable food systems. In conclusion, nanotechnology holds significant promise to revolutionize agriculture through sustainable solutions.

Silicon (Si), the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust, is increasingly recognized for its multifaceted role in plant health. Si supplementation improves plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, modulates phytohormonal pathways, and corrects nutritional imbalances. In particular, silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs), with their high reactivity and bioavailability, have demonstrated notable benefits in promoting plant growth, nutrient uptake, and stress resistance. Applied via foliar spray, soil amendment, or seed priming, SiNPs function both as protectants and enhancers of plant metabolic functions.

Despite growing evidence of their individual benefits, the synergistic role of Si (especially SiNPs) and signaling molecules remains underexplored. There is a compelling need for integrated research to unravel how Si interacts with hormonal signaling and nutrient pathways at the cellular level. The regular depletion of Si from soils due to intensive agriculture further underscores the urgency of developing exogenous Si-based supplementation strategies.

This Research Topic seeks to gather recent advances on the role of bioengineered nanoparticles and silicon-based nanoparticles in plant biology. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Bioengineered nanoparticles as emerging solutions for enhancing plant resilience

• Crop residue for silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) and extraction methods

• The emerging role of silicon nanoparticles in advancing sustainable agriculture and crop stress tolerance

• Silicon transporters in uptake and their role in plant tissue culture

• Role of silicon in improving freezing stress (cold hardiness)

• Crosstalk of silicon and its nano-forms with secondary metabolites and antioxidant networks

• Silicon and silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) dynamic interaction with phytohormones in regulation of transcriptional genes to enhance tolerance to various abiotic stress

• Addressing nutritional disorders in sustainable agriculture through silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs)

We encourage original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that contribute to a deeper understanding of these critical themes for sustainable agriculture.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

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Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Bioengineered Nanoparticles, Metal Nanoparticles, Plant stress, Silicon nanoparticles, Sustainable agriculture, Soil microbiome resilience

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.