Application of Silica Nanoparticles Improved the Growth, Yield, and Grain Quality of Two Salt-Tolerant Rice Varieties under Saline Irrigation

Abstract

Salt stress significantly reduces rice yield and quality and is a global challenge, especially in arid and semi-arid regions with limited freshwater resources. The present study was therefore conducted to examine the potential of silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) in mitigating the adverse effects of saline irrigation water in salt-tolerant rice. Two salt-tolerant rice varieties, i.e., Y liangyou 957 (YLY957) and Jingliangyou 534 (JLY534), were irrigated with 0.6% salt solution to simulate high-salt stress and two SiO2 NPs were applied, i.e., control (CK) and SiO2 NPs (15 kg hm−2). The results demonstrated that the application of SiO2 NPs increased, by 33.3% and 23.3%, the yield of YLY957 and JLY534, respectively, compared with CK, which was primarily attributed to an increase in the number of grains per panicle and the grain-filling rate. Furthermore, the application of SiO2 NPs resulted in a notable enhancement in the chlorophyll content, leaf area index, and dry matter accumulation, accompanied by a pronounced stimulation of root system growth and development. Additionally, the SiO2 NPs also improved the antioxidant enzyme activities, i.e., superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase activity and reduced the malondialdehyde content. The SiO2 NPs treatment effectively improved the processing quality, appearance quality, and taste quality of the rice. Furthermore, the SiO2 NPs resulted in improvements to the rapid viscosity analyzer (RVA) pasting profile, including an increase in peak viscosity and breakdown values and a reduction in setback viscosity. The application of SiO2 NPs also resulted in a reduction in crystallinity and pasting temperature owing to a reduction in the proportion of B2 + B3 amylopectin chains. Overall, the application of silica nanoparticles improved the quality of rice yield under high-salt stress.