Silicon improves the emergence and sanity of rice seedlings obtained from seeds infected with Bipolaris oryzae

This study investigated the importance of silicon (Si) in rice grain husk in association with fungicide treatment for preventing Bipolaris oryzae transmission from seed to seedling and the improvement in seedling emergence. Plants from cv. Oochikara and its mutant (lsi1 mutant) defective in active Si uptake were grown in nutrient solution without (-Si) or with (+Si) Si and their panicles were inoculated with B. oryzae. Seeds were evaluated for brown spot severity (BSS) and husk Si concentration. The Si concentration in the husks of cv. Oochikara plants was up to four times higher than the lsi1...