Miroslav Nikolic

• University of Belgrade

Research on silicon (Si) biogeochemistry and its beneficial effects for plants has received significant attention over several decades, but the reasons for the emergence of high-Si plants remain unclear. Here, we combine experimentation, field studies and analysis of existing databases to test the role of temperature on the expression and emergence...

Background and Aims While nitrogen (N) supply can enhance plant silicon (Si) accumulation, the mechanisms by which different forms of N affect Si mobilization in the rhizosphere are not well understood. This study aims to elucidate how pH changes induced by ammonium (NH4⁺) and nitrate (NO3⁻) affect Si availability in the rhizosphere, especially und...

Background and Aims While nitrogen (N) supply can enhance plant silicon (Si) accumulation, the mechanisms by which different forms of N affect Si mobilization in the rhizosphere are not well understood. This study aims to elucidate how pH changes induced by ammonium (NH4⁺) and nitrate (NO3⁻) affect Si availability in the rhizosphere, especially und...

Main conclusion NH4⁺ is necessary for full functionality of reduction-based Fe deficiency response in plants. Abstract Nitrogen (N) is present in soil mainly as nitrate (NO3–) or ammonium (NH4⁺). Although the significance of a balanced supply of NO3– and NH4⁺ for optimal growth has been generally accepted, its importance for iron (Fe) acquisition...

Serbia preserves a high number of local grape varieties, which have been cultivated across the country for centuries. Now, these ancient varieties are in the spotlight, and there is a global trend towards their recovery and characterization because they can revitalize regional, national and international grape and wine sectors. In addition, their g...

While research on terrestrial silicon (Si) biogeochemistry and its beneficial effects for plants has received significant attention in last decades, the reasons for the emergence of high-Si taxa remain unclear. Although the “arms race” hypothesis (i.e. increased silicification through co-evolution with mammalian grazers) has received some support,...

Silicon (Si) is a widely recognized beneficial element in plants. With the emergence of nanotechnology in agriculture, silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) demonstrate promising applicability in sustainable agriculture. Particularly, the application of SiNPs has proven to be a high-efficiency and cost-effective strategy for protecting plant against variou...

Background and aims Ammonium (NH4⁺) toxicity in plants might occur when supplied with NH4⁺ as the sole nitrogen source or when exposed to high NH4⁺ levels. The mechanisms behind NH4⁺ toxicity and the potential of nitrate (NO3–) in mitigating the harmful effects of NH4⁺ are still poorly explored. Methods Cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Maxi...

Beneficial effects of silicon (Si) on plants have primarily been studied in crop species under single stress. Moreover, nutrient acquisition-based responses to combination of biotic and abiotic stresses (a common situation in natural habitats) have rarely been reported, in particular in conjunction with soil amendments with Si. Pedunculate oak (Que...

Soil-borne wheat mosaic virus (SBWMV) and Soil-borne cereal mosaic virus (SBCMV), genus Furovirus, family Virgaviridae, cause significant crop losses in cereals. The viruses are transmitted by the soil-borne plasmodiophorid Polymyxa graminis. Inside P. graminis resting spores, the viruses persist in the soil for long time, which makes the disease d...

Increased availability of toxic Al³⁺ is the main constraint limiting plant growth on acid soils. Plants adapted to acid soils, however, tolerate toxic Al³⁺, and some can accumulate Al in their aerial parts to a significant degree. Studies on Al-tolerant and Al-accumulating species have mainly focused on the vegetation of acid soils distributed as t...

The aim of this study was to evaluate a new silicon and phosphorus containing fertilizer, obtained from rice husk with phos-phoric acid, in comparison with conventional triple super phosphate fertilizer, in terms of shoot growth, phosphorus and silicon uptake in barley and maize plants grown in both acidic and alkaline soils. The functional and str...

Trivalent chromium [Cr(III)] is a threat to the environment and crop production. Silicon (Si) has been shown to be effective in mitigating Cr(III) toxicity in rice. However, the mechanisms by which Si reduces Cr(III) uptake in rice are unclear. Herein, we hypothesized that the ability of Si to obstruct Cr(III) diffusion via apoplastic bypass is rel...

Monocots and dicots differ in their boron (B) requirement, but also in their capacity to accumulate silicon (Si). Although an ameliorative effect of Si on B toxicity has been reported in various crops, differences among monocots and dicots are not clear, in particular in light of their ability to retain B in the leaf apoplast. In hydroponic experim...

Salicylic acid (SA) is a phenolic phytohormone that plays a vital role in plant development and mediates plant responses to plenty of adversity including arsenic (As) stress. The effects of exogenous addition of SA on As tolerance and As accumulation were assessed in two cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L.) Nipponbare and Zhongzao 39, hydroponically...

Background and aims Southwest Australia is a biodiversity hotspot, with greatest plant species diversity on the most severely phosphorus (P)-impoverished soils. Here, non-mycorrhizal species with highly-effective carboxylate-releasing P-acquisition strategies coexist with mycorrhizal species that are less effective at accessing P on these soils. No...

An annual plant, Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera Royle) is globally widespread and one of Europe’s top invaders. We focused on two questions: does this species indeed not invade the southern areas and does the environment affect some of its key invisibility traits. In an isolated model mountainous valley, we jointly analyzed the soil (21 p...

Microbial mechanism of in-situ remediation of arsenic (As) in As-contaminated paddy fields by silicon (Si) fertilization has been rarely reported, especially under continuous rice cultivation and Si applications. In this study, two Si fertilizers were applied for three phases in five consecutive rice seasons to investigate the long-lasting impacts...

Silicon (Si) is not classified as an essential element for plants, but numerous studies have demonstrated its beneficial effects in a variety of species and environmental conditions, including low nutrient availability. Application of Si shows the potential to increase nutrient availability in the rhizosphere and root uptake through complex mechani...

Exogenous applications of silicon (Si) can initiate cellular defence pathways to enhance plant resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Plant Si accumulation is regulated by several transporters of silicic acid (e.g. Lsi1, Lsi2, and Lsi6), but the precise mechanisms involved in overall Si transport and its beneficial effects remains unclear. In s...

Phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC) is resistant to decomposition and, if crop residue biomass is incorporated into soil, has a significant potential for long-term soil carbon sequestration. However, the magnitude and spatial distribution of rice straw PhytOC sequestration remain unclear. Here, we used 279 samplings from nine provinces across China...

Cluster zone leaf removal is a well-established viticulture practice for improving cluster microclimate and wine quality in cooler climates, while its efficacy in warmer conditions is less is known. Here we compared the effect of early (ELR, after fruit set; diameter of berries 3–5 mm) and late (LLR, beginning of veraison) leaf removal on berry com...

AimsBeneficial elements may stimulate plant growth by favoring the availability of essential nutrients for metabolic processes. This study addresses the still unexplored question whether the beneficial action of selenium (Se) on plants can be due to its interaction with iron (Fe).Methods Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) plants were grown hydroponicall...

Silicon is widely recognized as a beneficial element for plant growth. Numerous studies have shown the beneficial effects of silicon, particularly under stress conditions. For the efficient exploration of silicon derived benefits, understanding silicon uptake mechanism, subsequent transport and accumulation in different tissues is essential. Here,...

Copper (Cu) toxicity in plants may lead to iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) deficiencies. Here, we investigated the effect of Si and Fe supply on the concentrations of micronutrients and metal-chelating amino acids nicotianamine (NA) and histidine (His) in leaves of cucumber plants exposed to Cu in excess. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) was t...

Magnetic biomonitoring using tree leaves has been proven as a proxy for airborne particle matter (PM) pollution. Since the leaf entrapment of PM is species-specific, in this study, four tree species common in urban areas of Europe and wider (Aesculus hippocastanum, Acer platanoides, Betula pendula and Tilia cordata) were investigated to evaluate wh...

Aims Although silicon (Si) is known to increase plant resistance to metal toxicity stress, the mechanisms responsible for alleviation of copper (Cu) toxicity are still insufficiently clear. We investigated the role of Si on Cu-binding processes involved in buffering excessive Cu in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) tissues. Methods Cucumber plants wer...

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is one of the main growth and yield limiting factors for barley grown on acid soils. Silicon (Si) ameliorates Al toxicity as well as it promotes the phenolic compounds production that have antioxidant or structural role. We evaluated the time-dependent kinetics of Al and Si uptake and the impact of Si on the production of ant...

The beneficial effects of silicon (Si) have been shown on plants using reduction-based strategy for iron (Fe) acquisition. Here we investigated the influence of Si on Fe deficiency stress alleviation in barley (Hordeum vulgare), a crop plant which uses the chelation-based strategy for Fe acquisition. Analyses of chlorophyll content, ROS accumulatio...

Both calcium (Ca) and silicon (Si) are known to improve plant performance under salt (NaCl) stress. Although these two mineral elements share numerous similarities, the information on how their extracellular interactions in the root apoplast affect uptake of sodium (Na+) is still lacking. Here we investigated the effect of high Si supply in the bio...

Both calcium (Ca) and silicon (Si) are known to improve plant performance under salt (NaCl) stress. Although these two mineral elements share numerous similarities, the information on how their extracellular interactions in the root apoplast affect uptake of sodium (Na+) is still lacking. Here we investigated the effect of high Si supply in the bio...

Although silicon (Si) is ubiquitous in soil and plant, evidence is still lacking that Si is essential for higher plants. However, it has been well documented that Si is beneficial for healthy growth of many plant species. Si can promote plant mechanical strength, light interception, as well as resistance to various forms of abiotic and biotic stres...

Silicon (Si) is known to alleviate salt stress in various crops; however, the influence of Si on sodium (Na) transport and partitioning at the tissue, cell and organelle levels is poorly understood. Maize (Zea mays L.) hybrid sensitive to salt stress was exposed to moderate salt stress (40mM NaCl; simulating conditions in salinized agricultural soi...

Iron (Fe) is the fourth most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust essential for plant growth. However, if overloaded, Fe becomes toxic for plants as a highly reactive Fenton catalyst. Higher plants have developed two distinct adaptive strategies to cope with low Fe availability in soils, such as the reduction-based strategy (Strategy 1) in nongram...

Long-term potentials and constraints of Nature to spontaneously recover after severe degradation by toxic mine waste, and general principles of mutual modifications of spontaneous vegetation and soils during this process, have remained widely unknown. This study investigates the effect of flooding on natural restoration of a model locality in Easte...

Aluminium (Al) toxicity in acid soils is a global problem. Here, we investigated Al tolerance in high yielding winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars bred in Serbia. The common relative root length (RRL) test for Al tolerance, and both physiological (malate efflux) and molecular (Aluminium-Activated Malate Transporter 1 [TaALMT1] expression)...

Evidence indicates that silicon (Si) alleviates diverse stresses by improving the antioxidant capacity and phenolics metabolism of plants. We assessed the effect of sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) and calcium silicate (CaSiO3) on Si and aluminium (Al) uptake, antioxidant performance and phenolics (with antioxidant or structural function) of ryegrass cult...

The effect of phosphorus (P) supply on P uptake, plant growth, and phenols production with either antioxidant or structural function was investigated in wheat. Ten wheat cultivars were grown hydroponically at 0, 0.01, 0.1, 0.4 mM P. After harvest, P concentration, plant growth, lipid peroxidation and total phenols concentration were determined. Chl...

Background and aims Although silicon (Si) is known to improve plant growth under low phosphorus (P) conditions, the in planta mechanisms responsible for this effect are still unknown. Here, we investigated the role of Si on P uptake along with the expression of Pi transporters in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in low P acid soil in comparison w...

Magnetic biomonitoring has been proven as a reliable proxy for deposited airborne particles (PM) (Hofman et al, 2014). However, the leaf entrapment of PM is species-specific and it is of importance to study which tree species reliably reflects PM pollution (Aničić et al, 2011; Tomašević et al, 2011; Deljanin et al, 2014). In this study, four tree s...

The supplementation of monosilicic acid [Si(OH)4] to the root growing medium is known to protect plants from toxic levels of iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn), but also to mitigate deficiency of Fe and Mn. However, the physicochemical bases of these alleviating mechanisms are not fully understood. Here we applied low-T electron paramagnetic...

Abstract Despite the growing popularity of ecological restoration approach, data on primary succession on toxic post-mining substrates, under site environmental conditions which considerably differ from the surrounding environment, are still scarce. Here, we studied the spontaneous vegetation development on an unusual locality created by long term...

The deficiency of zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) is a global issue causing not only considerable yield losses of food crops but also serious health problems. We have analysed Zn and Fe concentrations in the grains of two bread wheat cultivars along native gradient of micronutrient availability throughout Serbia. Although only 13% of the soil samples were...

• Backgrounds and Aims Retranslocation of iron (Fe) from source tissues enhances plant tolerance to Fe-deficiency. Our previous work has shown that silicon (Si) can alleviate Fe deficiency by enhancing acquisition and root-to-shoot translocation of Fe. Here we investigated the role of Si in Fe mobilization in older leaves and the subsequent retrans...

The concentrations of 15 elements were measured in the leaf samples of Aesculus hippocastanum, Tilia spp., Betula pendula and Acer platanoides collected in May and September of 2014 from four different locations in Belgrade, Serbia. The objective was to assess the chemical characterization of leaf surface and in-wax fractions, as well as the leaf t...

List of species occurring in the pioneer forests on the barren land degraded by fluvial deposition of sulphidic Cu tailings

Climatic conditions of the research area

Vanadium speciation in the fungus Phycomyces blakesleeanus was examined by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, enabling assessment of oxidation states and related molecular symmetries of this transition element in the fungus. The exposure of P. blakesleeanus to two physiologically important vanadium species (V5+ and V4+) resu...

This book mainly presents the current state of knowledge on the use of of Silicon (Si) in agriculture, including plants, soils and fertilizers. At the same time, it discusses the future interdisciplinary research that will be needed to further our knowledge and potential applications of Si in agriculture and in the environmental sciences in general...

Main conclusion: So far, considerable advances have been achieved in understanding the mechanisms of Si uptake and transport in vascular plants. This review presents a comprehensive update about this issue, but also provides the new insights into the role of Si against mineral stresses that occur in acid soils. Such information could be helpful to...

We studied the effect of liming and P fertilization of extremely acid soil (accidently acidified by sulfidic mining waste) on P availability and the subsequent adaptive responses of wheat roots. The wheat plants were grown in rhizoboxes allowing precise sampling of rhizosphere and bulk soil for sequential extraction of P fractions and determination...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) belong to the class of small non-coding RNAs which have important roles throughout development as well as in plant response to diverse environmental stresses. Some of plant miRNAs are essential for regulation and maintenance of nutritive homeostasis when nutrients are in excess or shortage comparing to optimal concentration for c...

The first soil testing of plant-available silicon (Si) was not conducted until 1898 on Hawaiian soils. However, numerous procedures have since been developed for determination of Si content in a wide variety of materials including soils, plants and fertilizers. This chapter reviews current analytical procedures that are widely used for analysis of...

Whether silicon (Si) deficiency occurs in plants depends largely on plant-available Si concentration in soils but not on total Si content. Si bioavailability in soils is related closely to soil Si biogeochemistry including biogeochemical cycling of Si, forms and solubility of Si in soils and solubility of Si in soils. This chapter deals in detail w...

Silicon (Si) has been well documented to mitigate phytotoxicity of metals including manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), aluminium (Al), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). However, the mechanisms explaining this phenomenon are still not clear. In general, there are two mechanisms, i.e. an external (ex planta) and...

Silicon (Si) has been reported to mitigate some other abiotic stresses such as boron (B) toxicity, potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) deficiency, iron (Fe) deficiency, excess of nitrogen and phosphorus, UV radiation and flooding. In this chapter, current knowledge concerning the roles Si may play under such abiotic stresses is overviewed. More recent...

Silicon (Si) has widely been reported to increase the growth and biomass, yield and quality of a broad range of crops including monocotyledonous crops such as rice, wheat, maize, barley, millet, sorghum and sugarcane that actively take up and accumulate high amounts of Si in their organs and some dicotyledonous crops such as cotton and some vegetab...

In general, silicon (Si) is involved in plant resistance against insect pest damage via two major defence mechanisms: physical defence and induced biochemical (chemical) defence. Si deposited as opaline phytoliths within plants may act as an antiherbivore defence through increasing hardness and abrasiveness of tissues and wearing of herbivore mouth...

The beneficial effects of silicon (Si) at preventing plant diseases have been known for many decades, and the list of plant–pathogen interactions influenced by Si keeps expanding. However, it is quite evident that the prophylactic properties of Si will vary greatly depending on the plant and the pathogen. The recent discovery of Si-specific transpo...

This chapter overviews the major silicate fertilizers commercially available and describes briefly their manufacturing processes. Silicon (Si) sources for agricultural use range from chemical products to natural minerals to by-products of steel and iron industries. All these products are shown to be effective in improving crop growth and yield. Sla...

Two different types of silicon (Si) transporter, influx and efflux, are involved in the Si-transport process of higher plants. The transporters responsible for Si uptake by roots (Lsi1 and Lsi2) have been identified in several higher plant species including rice (Oryza sativa), barley (Hordeum vulgare), maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum),...

Silicon (Si) has widely been reported to increase plant tolerance and/or resistance to salt (salinity) stress, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This chapter reviews the updated knowledge concerning Si and salt (salinity) interactions in higher plants. Based on the current literature, it seems that (1) silica deposited in the...

Drought and low temperature are two of the major adverse climatic factors that restrain plant growth and sustainable agricultural development. Silicon (Si) application can alleviate various abiotic stresses including drought and low temperature, suggesting its potential application in agricultural practices in these adverse soil and climate conditi...

Although silicon (Si) is not yet listed among the essential elements for the growth of higher plants, it has been well documented to play an important role in providing beneficial effects on growth and yield, especially in plants under stressful environments. From a practical perspective, the use of slag-based silicate fertilizers in agriculture ca...

Chapters in this book summarize the current knowledge inherent to the importance of Si nutrition for plant growth and development, resistance to biotic and abiotic stress and yield production and quality. The readers should refer to the individual chapters for information on past, current and future research linking Si with soils, plants and fertil...

Questions: Effects of soil on vegetation patterns are commonly obscured by other environmental factors; clear and general relationships are difficult to find. How would community assembly processes be affected by a substantial change in soil characteristics when all other relevant factors are held constant? In particular, can we identify some funct...

Although the beneficial role of silicon (Si) in alleviation of abiotic stress is well established, little is known of the relevance of Si nutrition under microelement deficiency. The aim of our work was to investigate the physiological role of Si in relation to micronutrient (Fe, Zn and Mn) deficiencies in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Cucumber (c...

Root responses to lack of iron ( F e) have mainly been studied in nutrient solution experiments devoid of silicon ( S i). Here we investigated how S i ameliorates F e deficiency in cucumber ( C ucumis sativus ) with focus on the storage and utilization of F e in the root apoplast. A combined approach was performed including analyses of apoplastic F...

The mechanisms by which nitrate is transported into the roots have been characterized both at physiological and molecular levels. It has been demonstrated that nitrate is taken up in an energy-dependent way by a four-component uptake machinery involving high- and low- affinity transport systems. In contrast very little is known about the physiology...

Arable alluvial soils are a globally important resource under increasing pressure from both industrial pollution and intensified agricultural land use. Quality of agricultural soils is ultimately defined by crop yields; it is however seldom feasible to study the consequences of complex soil pollution on crops under field conditions. This work analy...

The effect of reduced availability of sugars on growth and essential metabolic processes in roots, resulting from decreased photosynthesis under salinity, was excluded by establishing a non-photosynthetic model-system in this study: root cultures of Centaurium maritimum (L.) Fritch and Centaurium spicatum (L.) Fritch. The contribution of inorganic...

This work was focused on the role of silicon (Si) in amelioration of manganese (Mn) toxicity caused by elevated production of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) in the leaf apoplast of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). The plants were grown in nutrient solutions with adequate (0.5 μM) or excessive (100 μM) Mn concentrations with or without Si being supplied. The...

Boron efficiency of 16 oilseed rape genotypes was tested using both hydroponic and pot-soil growing techniques. From the nutrient solution experiment (0.1 and 10 mu M B), 4 representative contrasting genotypes were selected based on relative root and shoot growth. These were then grown in pots with low-B soil (0.25 mg kg(-1)). From the nutrient sol...

The objective of this study is to elucidate the roles of silicon (Si) in enhancing tolerance to excess zinc (Zn) in two contrasting rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars: i.e. cv. TY-167 (Zn-resistant) and cv. FYY-326 (Zn-sensitive). Root morphology, antioxidant defense reactions and lipid peroxidation, and histochemical staining were examined in rice p...