Speakers

Biography

Olajumoke (Jummy) completed her master's degree in Agricultural Sciences with a specialization in food sustainability at the University of Melbourne, Australia, in 2020. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD at the University of Melbourne, with a research focus on enhancing plant resilience to the challenges posed by drought stress. With over a decade of experience, she has actively contributed to various projects while working with the government of Nigeria.

Abstract

The anticipated increase in future drought occurrences accentuates the imperative to identify sustainable strategies for augmenting food production. Silicon (Si) application offers fortification against the detrimental impacts of environmental stresses on plants. While conventional soil-based application has been the predominant mode for Si application, foliar application exhibits promising potential for mitigating drought and fostering environmental sustainability. Therefore, this research investigated the responses of wheat and lentil plants to foliar and soil Si application approaches, aiming to identify the more efficient approach for enhancing plant resilience and increasing yield under drought stress conditions. The experiment was conducted in a controlled environment in a glasshouse at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Soil Si was applied at sowing, while foliar Si was applied at specific growth stages. Each application used two distinct Si sources, culminating in four different Si treatments and the control treatment groups. Plants were grown and watered daily until the reproductive stages. Then, severe drought was imposed by gradually reducing irrigation till pots were at 35 + 3% field capacity (FC). Pots were maintained at 35 + 3% FC for two weeks. At the end of drought stress, physiological data were taken, and plants were watered to continue growth till they were harvested at maturity. Data was statistically analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey pairwise comparison tests for mean comparisons between treatments. Results show that drought stress significantly reduced physiological traits and plant yield. However, Si application significantly increased physiological characteristics and grain yield. A comparison between the effects of foliar vs soil application of Si showed varied effects on physiological traits. Nevertheless, foliar application of Si produced higher yield than soil application.