Influence of silicon on maize roots exposed to antimony - growth and antioxidative response.

Pollution of antimony (Sb) raises a serious environmental problem. Although this non-essential element can be taken up by roots and accumulated in plant tissues in relatively high concentrations, there is still lack of knowledge about the effect of Sb on biochemical and metabolic processes in plants. It was shown that application of silicon (Si) can decrease the toxicity of other heavy metals and toxic elements in various plants.