Plant Silicon Nutrition and Application of Silicon-calcium Fertilizer

Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust and soil, yet its biological effects remain largely unexplored. Although it hasn't been proven that silicon is essential for plant growth, it is widely recognized as beneficial for the healthy development of plants, especially grasses. This article explores the impact of silicon on plant growth and the use of silicon-calcium fertilizers. First, let's look at the role of silicon in plant growth: 1. **Enhancing Photosynthesis**: Silicon improves the photosynthetic efficiency of crops like rice, wheat, and sugarcane. It helps maintain an upright posture by depositing in epidermal cells, which reduces the angle between leaves and stems. This allows better light absorption and utilization, boosting overall productivity. 2. **Boosting Root Activity**: Silicon enhances root performance by increasing the number of white roots in rice and improving the activity of dehydrogenase enzymes. It also helps rice roots emit more oxygen, reducing damage from toxic substances such as Fe²⁺, Mn²⁺, and H₂S under anaerobic conditions. 3. **Improving Lodging Resistance**: By forming a silicon layer in the cell walls, silicon strengthens the stem, making plants more resistant to lodging—especially important during typhoons or strong winds. 4. **Increasing Disease Resistance**: Silicon has been shown to enhance resistance against major crop diseases, such as rice blast, sheath blight, bacterial blight, and fungal infections in cucurbits. Though the exact mechanism is not fully understood, it is believed that silicon acts as a physical barrier, protecting plant tissues from pathogens. 5. **Enhancing Stress Tolerance**: Silicon improves both biotic and abiotic stress resistance, including protection against heavy metals, salt, drought, and other environmental challenges. 6. **Reducing Transpiration**: Silicon deposits in the epidermal cell walls help reduce water loss through transpiration, improving water-use efficiency and supporting sustainable agriculture. 7. **Increasing Yield and Quality**: Crops like rice, wheat, sugarcane, tomatoes, and melons show improved yield and quality after silicon application. For example, sugarcane gains higher sugar content, while tomatoes see increased vitamin C levels. 8. **Balancing Nutrient Uptake**: Silicon helps regulate nutrient absorption, promoting a more balanced nutrient profile in plants. In China, many soils—especially acidic ones in the south—suffer from silicon deficiency. Even calcareous soils in the north may lack available silicon due to calcium silicate interactions. Studies suggest that around 200 million mu of paddy fields are affected. To diagnose silicon deficiency, soil tests measure available silicon using a pH 4.0 acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer. In southern soils, values below 100-105 mg SiO₂/kg indicate a need for silicon-calcium fertilizers. For northern soils, the threshold is lower, at less than 300 mg SiO₂/kg. Plant-based diagnosis includes checking SiO₂ content in stems. Rice with less than 10% SiO₂ is likely deficient. Symptoms include soft stems, drooping leaves, and increased susceptibility to diseases. Regarding silicon-calcium fertilizers, several types exist: - **Slag-based Fertilizers** are commonly used but have limited availability due to transportation issues. - **High-efficiency chemical fertilizers**, developed by researchers, offer better solubility but are expensive. - **New high-efficiency Si-Ca fertilizers** provide good value with effective silicon and calcium content. - **Compound fertilizers** containing silicon are generally used as base fertilizers. In conclusion, the benefits of silicon for plant growth are gaining recognition. As agriculture moves toward sustainability and eco-friendly practices, silicon plays a crucial role in enhancing crop resilience, reducing pesticide use, and ensuring food safety. Its importance will only grow in the future.

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