Photosynthesis impairments and excitation energy dissipation on wheat plants supplied with silicon and infected with Pyricularia oryzae.

Considering the effect of silicon (Si) in reducing the blast symptoms on wheat in a scenario where the losses in the photosynthetic capacity of the infected plants is lowered, this study investigated the ability of using the incident light, the chloroplastidic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids) alterations and the possible role of carotenoids on the process of light dissipation on wheat plants non-supplied (-Si) or supplied (+Si) with Si and inoculated or not with Pyricularia oryzae. For + Si plants, blast severity was reduced compared to -Si plants. Reductions in the concentration of photosynthetic pigments (total chlorophyll, violanxanthin + antheraxanthin + zeaxanthin, β-carotene and lutein) were greater for inoculated -Si plants than for inoculated + Si ones.