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Adopting a Si supply strategy can amplify the sugarcane response. Thus, this study aimed to verify whether Si supply in the pre-sprouted seedling (PSS) formation phase would have an effect after field transplanting similar to Si supply only in the field phase (via foliar spraying or fertigation). Furthermore, this study aimed to verify whether Si supply in the PSS formation phase associated with Si fertigation after transplanting can potentiate or amplify Si benefits. Two experiments were conducted. In experiment I, pre-sprouted seedlings were grown in a nursery without Si (Control) and with Si. Experiment II was conducted in the field on Eutrustox soil with the following treatments: no Si supply (Control); Si supplied during the PSS formation phase; Si supplied through foliar spraying in the field; Si supplied through fertigation in the field; Si supplied in the PSS formation phase and during field development. Silicon used in both crop phases benefited sugarcane by increasing photosynthetic pigment content and the antioxidative defense system. The innovation of Si management to be supplied via fertigation integrated with both crop phases (PSS and in the field) optimizes the element's use by increasing the crop's productivity and sustainability., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

DRIS (Diagnosis Recommendation Integrated System) is a tool used in the interpretation of leaf analyses that values the balance of nutrients, an important fact for a better assessment of the nutritional status of banana plants. Its usefulness depends on the ability to identify the nutrients that limit productivity in order to correct possible nutritional imbalances, but there is a lack of research in all crops, including bananas, to assess the accuracy of these diagnoses, which have a worrying global implication. To this end, this study evaluates DRIS norms for banana cultivation in Ecuador and the use of accuracy measurements for nutritional diagnosis, verifying the capacity of DRIS to detect true nutritional status based on plant response. The database created here contains 233 results referring to productivity and leaf contents of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cl, Fe, Mn, Cu, B, and Zn for banana trees in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Then, a field experiment evaluated doses of nitrogen and potassium and the accuracy of DRIS norms for N and K. The results show that the DRIS of banana produced in Ecuador depends on the nutrient being variable according to the crop nutritional status. The DRIS norms for diagnosis of N and K result in an acceptable accuracy to identify only deficiencies and toxicities, respectively, indicating the need for adjustments in these standards for later use in the field. Thus, there is a need for more research aiming to adopt calibrated DRIS diagnostic norms to assess the nutritional status of bananas in Ecuador., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Multiple aspects of the physiological and nutritional mechanisms involved with silicon (Si) absorption by quinoa plants remain poorly investigated, as well as the best way of supplying this element to crops. Thus, this study aimed at evaluating whether the application of Si increases its uptake by quinoa plants and consequently the use efficiency of N and P, as well as the levels of phenolic compounds in the leaves, crop productivity and the biofortification of grains. For this purpose, the concentration of 3 mmol L -1 of Si was tested, according to the following procedures: foliar application (F), root application in the nutrient solution (R), combined Si application via nutrient solution and foliar spraying (F + R), and no Si application (0). The provision of Si through the leaves and roots promoted the highest uptake of the element by the plant, which resulted in an increased use efficiency of N and P. Consequently, such a higher uptake favored the productivity of grains. The optimal adoption of the application of Si through leaves and roots promoted the highest Si concentration and ascorbic acid content in quinoa grains., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Recognizably, silicon has a beneficial effect on plant growth and productivity. In this respect, it is also known that the C, N and, P stoichiometric ratios and nutrient conversion efficiency allow identifying the interactions between elements while helping to understand the role Si plays in plant growth. This study aims to investigate whether increasing Si concentrations (0, 1, 2, and 3 mmol L -1 ) supplied in the nutrient solution is uptaken by quinoa, modifies the C:N:P stoichiometry while increasing nutritional efficiency and crop productivity as well. Our results revealed that the Si supply by promoting a decline in the C levels, associated with greater uptake of N and P, especially decreased the C:N and C:P ratios, favoring the C metabolism efficiency, and modulated the N and P use efficiency for biomass accumulation. This improved nutritional performance and greater use efficiency of C directly favored quinoa productivity. The future perspective is to encourage new field studies with this species to adjust silicon fertilization management to different soils aiming at enhancing quinoa productivity on a sustainable basis.