Tarbiat Modares University Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology 1680-7073 Articles in Press 2026 07 19 A silicon-based formulation enhances antioxidant defense and biochemical stability in heat-stressed cotton 29004 EN Malika Mamasolieva Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Biology at the National University of Uzbekistan, 100174, Tashkent, Uzbekistan 0000-0002-2940-0361 Ilyos Hudoynazarov Department of Natural Compounds and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, National University of Uzbekistan, 100174, Tashkent, Uzbekistan 0000-0002-1947-2505 Gulchekhra Nabyieva Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Biology and Ecology, National University of Uzbekistan, 100174, Tashkent, Uzbekistan 0009-0006-4811-4068 Dilafruz Makhkamova Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Biology and Ecology, National University of Uzbekistan, 100174, Tashkent, Uzbekistan 0009-0005-2761-9043 Mamlakat Makhmudova Department of Botany and Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Ecology, National University of Uzbekistan, 100174, Tashkent, Uzbekistan 0009-0009-5801-6201 Odiljon Sharipov Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, Bukhara State University, Muhammad Iqbol Street 11, 705018, Bukhara, Uzbekistan 0000-0002-4332-668X Muxamad Axmedov Grain and legume research institute, Bukhara scientific experimental station, Bukhara district, 200407 Bukhara, Uzbekistan 0009-0002-0090-7254 Moxidil Yusupova Department of Horticulture and Vegetable Growing, Fergana State University,150100 Fergana, Uzbekistan 0000-0001-9237-6520 Ulugbek Mirzayev Department of Soil Science, Fergana State University, 150100 Fergana, Uzbekistan 0000-0002-4482-5034 Khusnidakhon Abdukhakimova Department of Soil Science, Fergana State University, 150100 Fergana, Uzbekistan 0000-0001-7707-1753 Alimardon Abduraxmonov Department of Soil Science, Fergana State University, 150100 Fergana, Uzbekistan 0009-0008-5914-3053 Journal Article 2026 02 21 <span>Global temperature rise increasingly exposes crops to heat stress, leading to oxidative damage and reduced productivity. The present study investigated the effects of seed priming with a silicon-based formulation on antioxidant defense mechanisms and biochemical responses in two cotton (<em>Gossypium hirsutum</em> L.) cultivars (<strong><span>Bukhara-8 and Bukhara-102) under short-term heat stress (45 °C for 6 h). Seeds were primed with the commercial silicon-based formulation Aminosid-Silicon (170 mg Si L⁻¹) and evaluated using a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial experimental design. Heat stress increased oxidative damage, whereas treatment with the silicon-based formulation enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities. The greatest response was observed for POD activity, which increased from 22.0 to 29.6 U mg⁻¹ protein in Bukhara-102, while H₂O₂ content decreased from 158.2 to 119.4 nmol g⁻¹ FW under heat stress</span></strong><span>.</span> The silicon-based formulation also promoted proline accumulation, and Pearson correlation analysis revealed coordinated relationships among antioxidant enzymes, oxidative stress markers, and proline. Overall, the results indicate that seed priming with the silicon-based formulation enhanced biochemical protection against acute heat stress by strengthening antioxidant defense and reducing oxidative damage in cotton seedlings.</span> https://jast.modares.ac.ir/article_29004_a5526b5c1e15754a534e9ff97728a32f.pdf