Effect of foliar application of silica on some physiological traits of )Physorrhynchus Chamaerapistrumare L. ( medicinal plant

Based on the increasing literatures on medicinal plants and their importance in the food and pharmaceutical industries, the present study was designed to study on the medicinal plant Physorrhynchus chamaerapistrum. Silica (Si) is known as a beneficial element for many plant species. In the present study was designed to study on the effect of potassium silicate treatment on some physiological traits of P. chamaerapistrumare. In this order, foliar application of 10 and 20 mM potassium silicate and distilled water (as control plant) was applied on P. chamaerapistrumare in their natural habitat in Behbahan. After one month, the leaves of the plants were harvested to investigate the physiological responses of the plants to the potassium silicate treatment. Based on the results, Silica treatment had not significant effect on the leaf fluorescence indices, while it significantly increased photosynthetic pigments in P. chamaerapistrumare. Silica treatment did not show a significant effect on the efficiency of photosystem II (Fv / Fm) and the efficiency of both photosystems I and II (PIABS). The levels of chlorophyll a, b and total and carotenoids in silica-treated plants showed a significant increase in Silica treatment, while they did not show any differences between 10 and 20 mM of potassium silicate. The results of the present study acclaimed that silica as an unnecessary mineral element for plant can improve the photosynthetic pigments contents in plants.