Previous studies on silicon-enhanced disease resistance in rice were mainly focused on rice blast and sheath blight that were caused by fungi. To date, the effect of silicon on bacterial blight (Xoo) has never been reported. A series of hydroponics experiments were performed in the present study in a controlled rice-Xoo pathosystem to examine the silicon-enhanced disease resistance, silicon absorption and rice growth. The effects of silicon on activities of antioxidant defense enzymes in rice leaves ...