Silicon and Nano-silicon in Environmental Stress Management and Crop Quality Improvement: Progress and Prospects provides a comprehensive overview of the latest understanding of the physiological, biochemical and molecular basis of silicon- and nano-silicon-mediated environmental stress tolerance and crop quality improvements in plants. The book not only covers silicon-induced biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in crops but is also the first to include nano-silicon-mediated approaches to environmental stress tolerance in crops. As nanotechnology has emerged as a prominent tool for enhancing agricultural productivity, and with the production and applications of nanoparticles (NPs) greatly increasing in many industries, this book is a welcomed resource.

• Enables the development of strategies to enhance crop productivity and better utilize natural resources to ensure future food security
• Focuses on silicon- and nano-silicon-mediated environmental stress tolerance
• Addresses the challenges of both biotic and abiotic stresses

• Front Cover 2
• Silicon and Nano-silicon in Environmental Stress Management and Crop Quality Improvement 5
• Copyright Page 6
• Contents 7
• List of contributors 13
• About the editors 17
• Preface 19
• 1 Sources of silicon and nano-silicon in soils and plants 21
  • 1.1 Introduction 21
  • 1.2 Sources of silicon and nano-silicon in soils 22
    • 1.2.1 Silicon in soils and its forms 22
      • 1.2.1.1 Silicon in solid forms 22
      • 1.2.1.2 Availability of silicon in soil 23
      • 1.2.1.3 Adsorption of silicon on solid phases 24