Wendy Zellner, plant physiologist
Wendy Zellner, PhD, is a plant physiologist. Her research focuses on the beneficial effects that the nutrient silicon has on plants undergoing stress.
Plant stresses might include diseases, like an insect infestation or fungal infection. Or they could be environmental stresses, like heat, cold, drought, and floods. Plant physiologists have found that stresses in plants lead to inflammatory responses, similar to the stresses in humans. This can cause plants to grow poorly, reducing vegetative growth like leaves and stems. It can affect how well the plants make flowers or set seed. All these negatively impact yields.
Silicon naturally occurs in soil and is present in our water sources. Although researchers don’t understand exactly how silicon helps stressed plants yet, it’s important to research the best methods to get this vital nutrient to plants when they need it.
Zellner’s research team applies diverse sources of silicon, in different doses, to a variety of plants. While other researchers have applied silicon to leaves, her team found plants efficiently absorb the nutrient when it is applied to the growing medium–such as soil, soil-less mixes, or complete liquid growth solutions. They apply liquid silicon fertilizers directly to the growing media (a drench) or incorporate solid sources directly into soil-less substrates.
Researchers are able to tell how much silicon the plant accumulates by growing the plant and harvesting its tissue. They then analyze it using spectroscopy to determine how much silicon was absorbed.
Zellner’s research has found that plants absorb silicon efficiently through their roots. Roots of a plant act a lot like a human’s intestines and kidneys. Roots absorb nutrients from the growing medium while filtering out wastes into the external environment. Currently, Zellner is studying how the cells in the roots work to move silicon into and out of different plant organs.
Her research is also testing different chemical compositions of silicon to see which one helps plants the most. She is testing the effects of silicon on tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, corn, and other food crops.
Plant physiologists play an essential role in finding answers to improve food sustainability. The role of silicon in reducing and treating plant stress is just beginning to be understood. That’s why researching silicon’s absorption and the best ways to apply it is important. Zeller’s work will help feed the world.
Watch Zellner in action. Read Dr. Zellner's blog about plant stress here.
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