Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41864863›Full record

ArticleBMC plant biology2026

Comparative efficacy of natural and synthetic silicon fertilizers in enhancing yield and mitigating heavy metals (Cd and Pb) toxicity by modulating antioxidant activity in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Muhammad Kashif Sohail, Abdul Ghafoor, Muhammad Munir, Mukkram Ali Tahir, Noor Us Sabah, Hasnain Waheed, Abdullateef Mohammed Al Saeed, Khalid Turk, Laiba Irshad, Michelyne Haroun

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC plant biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Muhammad Kashif SohailDepartment of Soil & Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, 40100, Pakistan.
Abdul GhafoorWater and Environmental Studies Center, King Faisal University, Al- Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia. aghafoor@kfu.edu.sa.
Muhammad MunirDate Palm Research Center of Excellence, King Faisal University, Al- Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia.
Mukkram Ali TahirDepartment of Soil & Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, 40100, Pakistan.
Noor Us SabahDepartment of Soil & Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, 40100, Pakistan.
Hasnain WaheedDepartment of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, 40100, Pakistan. hasnainwaheed90@yahoo.com.
Abdullateef Mohammed Al SaeedEnvironment and Agricultural Natural Resources Department, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia.
Khalid TurkWater and Environmental Studies Center, King Faisal University, Al- Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia.
Laiba IrshadSchool of Chemistry, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
Michelyne HarounFish Resources Research Center, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHeavy metals contamination, particularly cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), poses a major threat to wheat productivity and human health. The comparative efficacy of natural and synthetic sources of Si fertilization to alleviate heavy metals stress in wheat remains largely unexplored.

methodsA pot study comprising thirteen treatments was designed under a completely randomized design (CRD) to assess the synthetic (Ca silicate) and natural (treated burnt rice husk) Si fertilizers in promoting the wheat growth and mitigating the adverse effects of heavy metals-induced toxicity. Five surface-sterilized seeds of wheat cv. Faisalabad-2008 were sown in pots under controlled conditions (25 °C temperature, 75% relative humidity and 16/8 h light/dark period) from sowing to maturity (170 days).

resultsApplication of both Si sources considerably enhanced all the agronomic, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of wheat by reducing the adverse impact of heavy metals stress. However, in comparison, the synthetic Si (Ca silicate) fertilization proved superior, resulting in the greatest improvements in plant height (11.60%) and grain yield (12.84%), while marked reduction in Cd (15.53%) and Pb (10.02%) contents in shoot under heavy metals stress. Si application increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities and reduced the electrolyte leakage (EL) and malondialdehyde (MDA), demonstrating effective mitigation of the oxidative stress. The correlation analysis proved that the positive changes in agronomic characteristics caused by Si fertilization were highly correlated with lower heavy metals uptake and increased antioxidant activities.

conclusionsCollectively, both Si fertilizer sources significantly reduced the Cd and Pb toxicity, however, in comparison; the synthetic Si fertilizer was more effective in enhancing the wheat productivity under Cd or Pb stress than natural Si fertilizer.

Indexed as

AntioxidantsCadmiumFertilizersLeadMetals, HeavySiliconTriticumAntioxidantsCadmiumFertilizersLeadMetals, HeavySiliconAntioxidantPlant stress toleranceSilicon sources, Metal uptake reduction

Identifiers

PMID41864863
PMCPMC13097585

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.