Abstract
Plants have evolved numerous herbivore defences that are resistance- or tolerance-based. Resistance involves physical and chemical traits that deter and/or harm herbivores whereas tolerance minimizes fitness costs of herbivory, often via compensatory growth. The Poaceae frequently accumulate large amounts of silicon (Si), which can be used for herbivore resistance, including biomechanical and (indirectly) biochemical defences. To date, it is unclear whether Si improves tolerance of herbivory. Here we report how Si enabled a cereal (Triticum aestivum) to tolerate damage inflicted by above- and belowground herbivores. Leaf herbivory increased Si concentrations in the leaves by greater than 50% relative to herbivore-free plants, indicating it was an inducible defensive response. In plants without Si supplementation, leaf herbivory reduced shoot biomass by 52% and root herbivory reduced root biomass by 68%. Si supplementation, however, facilitated compensatory growth such that shoot losses were more than compensated for (+14% greater than herbivore-free plants) and root losses were minimized to -16%. Si supplementation did not improve plant resistance since Si did not enhance biomechanical resistance (i.e. force of fracture) or reduce leaf consumption and herbivore relative growth rates. We propose that Si-based defence operates in wheat via tolerance either in addition or as an alternative to resistance-based defence.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf herbivory increased leaf silicon concentration by more than 50% compared with herbivore free plants.
- Taxon
- Triticum aestivum
Triticum aestivume1 - Treatment
- Leaf herbivorye0
- Outcome
- Si concentrations in the leavese0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- greater than 50%e0
- Comparator
- herbivore-free plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Leaf herbivory increased Si concentrations in the leaves by greater than 50% relative to herbivore-free plants”
e1“a cereal (Triticum aestivum) to tolerate damage”
Claim · model-written summary
Without silicon, leaf herbivory reduced shoot biomass by 52%.
- Taxon
- Triticum aestivumTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- leaf herbivorye0
- Outcome
- shoot biomasse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 52%e0
- Comparator
- plants without Si supplementatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In plants without Si supplementation, leaf herbivory reduced shoot biomass by 52%”
e1“a cereal (Triticum aestivum) to tolerate damage”
Claim · model-written summary
Without silicon, root herbivory reduced root biomass by 68%.
- Taxon
- Triticum aestivumTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- root herbivorye0
- Outcome
- root biomasse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 68%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“root herbivory reduced root biomass by 68%”
e1“a cereal (Triticum aestivum) to tolerate damage”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon supplementation allowed shoot biomass after leaf herbivory to exceed herbivore free plants by 14%.
- Taxon
- Triticum aestivumTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- Si supplementatione0
- Outcome
- shoot lossese0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- +14%e0
- Comparator
- herbivore-free plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Si supplementation, however, facilitated compensatory growth such that shoot losses were more than compensated for (+14% greater than herbivore-free plants)”
e1“a cereal (Triticum aestivum) to tolerate damage”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon supplementation limited root losses after herbivory to 16%.
- Taxon
- Triticum aestivumTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- Si supplementatione2
- Outcome
- root lossese0
- Direction
- minimizede0
- Value
- -16%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“root losses were minimized to -16%”
e1“a cereal (Triticum aestivum) to tolerate damage”
e2“Si supplementation, however, facilitated compensatory growth”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon supplementation did not enhance biomechanical resistance.
- Taxon
- Triticum aestivumTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- Si supplementatione0
- Outcome
- biomechanical resistancee0
- Direction
- did not enhancee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Si supplementation did not improve plant resistance since Si did not enhance biomechanical resistance (i.e. force of fracture)”
e1“a cereal (Triticum aestivum) to tolerate damage”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon supplementation did not reduce leaf consumption.
- Taxon
- Triticum aestivumTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- Sie0
- Outcome
- leaf consumptione0
- Direction
- reducee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Si did not enhance biomechanical resistance (i.e. force of fracture) or reduce leaf consumption and herbivore relative growth rates”
e1“a cereal (Triticum aestivum) to tolerate damage”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon supplementation did not reduce herbivore relative growth rates.
- Taxon
- Triticum aestivumTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- Sie0
- Outcome
- herbivore relative growth ratese0
- Direction
- reducee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Si did not enhance biomechanical resistance (i.e. force of fracture) or reduce leaf consumption and herbivore relative growth rates”
e1“a cereal (Triticum aestivum) to tolerate damage”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors proposed silicon based defense in wheat operates through tolerance.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Outcome
- Si-based defencee0
- Qualifier
- via tolerancee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Si-based defence operates in wheat via tolerance either in addition or as an alternative to resistance-based defence”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.