ABSTRACT
Contamination of land by heavy metals and toxic elements has raised a serious environmental problem in recent decades. This generates a great problem for food and feed production worldwide. Therefore, the mechanisms that allow plants to cope with these threats are intensively studied. There is much evidence that application of silicon (Si) ameliorates the negative effects of various environmental stresses, including heavy metals and toxic elements. These contaminants are frequently present in the soil; therefore, roots often represent the first point of contact with them. This chapter demonstrates the role of Si in plant roots and their response to the elevated concentration of heavy metals, such as Cd, Zn, Cr, and Cu, and the toxic concentrations of other metals and metalloids, such as Al, Mn, As, and Sb.
