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Since silicon (Si) was found to be effective in crop production recently, more information is needed about its characteristics, including how it functions as a nano fertilizer for crop performance. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of the Si-containing nano fertilizer on cotton growth parameters and productivity in the arid region. The research conducted in open field conditions over the two consecutive growing seasons (2021 and 2022) revealed that the application of the Si-containing product significantly increased the biomass (10.6%), economic (19.4%), seed (14.3%), and lint yields (18.2%) of cotton as compared to the control group values. Likewise, the cotton biomass, economic, seed, and lint yields were increased by 11.8, 9.7, 9.5, and 9.1%, respectively, compared to the control variables after the Uzbiogumin application. Agronomic nitrogen-use efficiency (aNUE), physiological nitrogen-use efficiency (pNUE), internal nitrogen-use efficiency (iNUE), and apparent nitrogen recovery efficiency (aNRE) parameters were increased by 2.4-fold, 2.1-fold, 34.6 and 57.3%, respectively, with the application of Si nanonutrition. Although the cotton treated with nano Si produced a greater yield, while Uzbiogumin application resulted in more cotton biomass. Based on the results it can be concluded that the applied nano Si product can be widely used to increase crop productivity, especially in degraded lands under arid environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Climate change is leading to severe and long-term droughts in European forest ecosystems. can have profound effects on various physiological processes, including photosynthesis, gene expression patterns, and nutrient uptake at the developmental stage of young trees. Objectives: Our study aimed to test the hypothesis that the application of silica (SiO2) influences photosynthetic efficiency and gene expression in 1- to 2-year-old Fagus sylvatica (L.) seedlings. Additionally, we aimed to assess whether silicon application positively influences the structural properties of leaves and roots. To determine whether the plant physiological responses are genotype-specific, seedlings of four geographically different provenances were subjected to a one-year evaluation under greenhouse conditions. Methods: We used the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Wilcoxon's test to evaluate the differences in silicon content and ANOVA followed by Tukey's test to evaluate the physiological responses of seedlings depending on treatment and provenance. Results: Our results showed a significantly higher Si content in the roots compared with the leaves, regardless of provenance and treatment. The most significant differences in photosynthetic performance were found in trees exposed to Si treatment, but the physiological responses were generally nuanced and provenance-dependent. Expression of hsp70 and hsp90 was also increased in leaf tissues of all provenances. These results provide practical insights that Si can improve the overall health and resilience of beech seedlings in nursery and forest ecosystems, with possible differences in the beneficial role of silicon application arising from the large differences in wild populations of forest tree species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since silicon (Si) was found to be effective in crop production recently, more information is needed about its characteristics, including how it functions as a nano fertilizer for crop performance. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of the Si-containing nano fertilizer on cotton growth parameters and productivity in the arid region. The research conducted in open field conditions over the two consecutive growing seasons (2021 and 2022) revealed that the application of the Si-containing product significantly increased the biomass (10.6%), economic (19.4%), seed (14.3%), and lint yields (18.2%) of cotton as compared to the control group values. Likewise, the cotton biomass, economic, seed, and lint yields were increased by 11.8, 9.7, 9.5, and 9.1%, respectively, compared to the control variables after the Uzbiogumin application. Agronomic nitrogen-use efficiency (aNUE), physiological nitrogen-use efficiency (pNUE), internal nitrogen-use efficiency (iNUE), and apparent nitrogen recovery efficiency (aNRE) parameters were increased by 2.4-fold, 2.1-fold, 34.6 and 57.3%, respectively, with the application of Si nanonutrition. Although the cotton treated with nano Si produced a greater yield, while Uzbiogumin application resulted in more cotton biomass. Based on the results it can be concluded that the applied nano Si product can be widely used to increase crop productivity, especially in degraded lands under arid environments.

Rice has been shown to respond positively to Si fertilizer in terms of growth and productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a series of Si application rates on grain yield, Si concentration, and the expression of the OsLsi6 gene among three Thai rice varieties. The varieties CNT1, PTT1, and KDML105 were grown in a pot experiment under six levels of Si (0, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 kg Si/ha). Grain yield was the highest at 300 kg Si/ha, being increased by 35%, 53%, and 69% in CNT1, PTT1, and KDML105, respectively, compared with the plants grown without added Si. For Si concentrations in rice plants, rising Si fertilizer application up to 150 kg/ha significantly increased the Si concentration in straw, flag leaf, and husk in all varieties. The Si concentration in all tissues was higher under high Si (300 kg Si/ha). Applying Si fertilizer also increased the expression level of OsLsi6 in both CNT1 and PTT1 varieties. The highest expression level of OsLsi6 was associated with 300 kg Si/ha, being increased by 548% in CNT1 and 326% in PTT1 compared with untreated plants. These results indicate that Si application is an effective way to improve rice yield as well as Si concentration, and that the effect is related to the higher expression of the OsLsi6 gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soils in tidal swamp land as new development area for rice in Indonesia have a considerably low available silica (Si) because very acid condition and no Si fertilization. Therefore, increasing the productivity of rice as Si accumulator plant, in tidal swamp land requires silica fertilizer. This research presented the effect of applications of silicon in the form of orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4) enriched with selected Sisolubilizing fungi, formulated as 4-gram tableted Si fertilizer (BioSilAc) on tidal swamp land soil to improve yield and reduce chemical fertilizer dosage for rice. Field experiment was conducted in Ketapang subdistrict, South Lampung by using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with six treatments and four replicates. The treatments consisted of (ha-1 season-1): 100% NPK recommended dosage (P1); 100% NPK + 80 BioSilAc tablets (P2); 75% NPK + 80 BioSilAc tablets (P3); 75% NPK + 100 BioSilAc tablets (P4); 50% NPK + 120 BioSilAc tablets (P5); and control (P6). The results showed that P2 treatment increased the highest rice yield in dried harvested grain by 7.6% or equivalent to 500 kg ha-1 compared to P1 treatment. The highest fertilization efficiency can be achieved in P4 treatment which means the NPK recommended dosage can be reduced 25% by adding 100 BioSilAc tablets ha-1 season-1 indicated by insignificantly different productivity compared to that of P1. The Revenue/Cost (R/C) values showed that P2 treatment was economically feasible fertilization practices.

Rice has been shown to respond positively to Si fertilizer in terms of growth and productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a series of Si application rates on grain yield, Si concentration, and the expression of the OsLsi6 gene among three Thai rice varieties. The varieties CNT1, PTT1, and KDML105 were grown in a pot experiment under six levels of Si (0, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 kg Si/ha). Grain yield was the highest at 300 kg Si/ha, being increased by 35%, 53%, and 69% in CNT1, PTT1, and KDML105, respectively, compared with the plants grown without added Si. For Si concentrations in rice plants, rising Si fertilizer application up to 150 kg/ha significantly increased the Si concentration in straw, flag leaf, and husk in all varieties. The Si concentration in all tissues was higher under high Si (300 kg Si/ha). Applying Si fertilizer also increased the expression level of OsLsi6 in both CNT1 and PTT1 varieties. The highest expression level of OsLsi6 was associated with 300 kg Si/ha, being increased by 548% in CNT1 and 326% in PTT1 compared with untreated plants. These results indicate that Si application is an effective way to improve rice yield as well as Si concentration, and that the effect is related to the higher expression of the OsLsi6 gene.

The aim was to use the agricultural weed and silica (Si) hyperaccumulator Equisetum arvense as Si fertilizer in plant cultivation. We investigated (1) the Si uptake in various Equisetum species, (2) where Si accumulates in the Equisetum plant, (3) processing methods to release as much Si as possible from dried, ground E. arvense plants and (4) which treatment yields gives the highest uptake of Si in young wheat plants cultivated in soil containing ground E. arvense. The results showed that E. arvense containes 22% Si and was among the best Si accumulators. Equisetum arvense accumulates Si as both soluble and firmly bound fractions. Amorphous silica (SiO 2 ) accumulates in the outer cell walls of epidermis of the entire plant. Regarding the processing method, a longer treatment time, greater concentration of Equisetum, boiling, and the addition of sodium bicarbonate increased the Si availability in ground, dried E. arvense. The addition of untreated, ground, dried E. arvense to the soil, corresponding to 160 kg Si ha -1 , increased the available Si in the soil and the Si uptake in wheat plants by five-fold, compared with the control. Boiling the ground E. arvense increased the Si uptake by 10 times, and the of sodium bicarbonate increased the availability and uptake by 40 times, compared with the control. In conclusion, dried, ground E. arvense can be used as a Si fertilizer as is, after boiling for a slightly better effect, or with sodium bicarbonate (up to a similar amount as the ground material) for best effect., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

The deficiency of available silicon (Si) incurred by year-round agricultural and horticultural practices highlights the significance of Si fertilization for soil replenishment. This study focuses on a novel and economical route for the synthesis of Si fertilizer via the calcination method using talc and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as starting materials. The molar ratio of talc to CaCO3 of 1:2.0, calcination temperature of 1150 °C and calcination time of 120 min were identified as the optimal conditions to maximize the available Si content of the prepared Si fertilizer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) characterizations elucidate the principles of the calcination temperature-dependent microstructure evolution of Si fertilizers, and the akermanite Ca2Mg(Si2O7) and merwinite Ca3Mg(SiO4)2 were identified as the primary silicates products. The results of release and solubility experiments suggest the content of available metallic element and slow-release property of the Si fertilizer obtained at the optimum preparation condition (Si-OPC). The surface morphology and properties of Si-OPC were illuminated by the results of scanning electron microscope (SEM), surface area and nitrogen adsorption analysis. The acceleration action of CaCO3 in the decomposition process of talc was demonstrated by the thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) test. The pot experiment corroborates that 5 g kg−1 soil Si-OPC application sufficed to facilitate the pakchoi growth by providing nutrient elements. This evidence indicates the prepared Si fertilizer as a promising candidate for Si-deficient soil replenishment.

In this study, a pot experiment was designed to elucidate the effect of varying dosages of silicon (Si) fertilizer application in Si-deficient and enriched paddy soils on rice phytolith and carbon (C) bio-sequestration within phytoliths (PhytOC). The maximum Si fertilizer dosage treatment (XG3) in the Si-deficit paddy soil resulted in an increase in the rice phytolith content by 100.77% in the stem, 29.46% in the sheath and 36.84% in the leaf compared to treatment without Si fertilizer treatment (CK). However, the maximum Si fertilizer dosage treatment (WG3) in the Si -enriched soil increased the rice phytolith content by only 32.83% in the stem, 27.01% in the sheath and 32.06% in the leaf. Overall, Si fertilizer application significantly (p < 0.05) increased the content of the rice phytoliths in the stem, leaf and sheath in both the Si-deficient and enriched paddy soils, and the statistical results showed a positive correlation between the amount of Si fertilizer applied and the rice phytolith content, with correlation coefficients of 0.998 (p < 0.01) in the Si-deficient soil and 0.952 (p < 0.05) in the Si-enriched soil. In addition, the existence of phytoliths in the stem, leaf, and sheath of rice and its content in the Si-enriched soil were markedly higher than that in the Si-deficient soil. Therefore, Si fertilizer application helped to improve the phytolith content of the rice plant.

In this study, a pot experiment was designed to elucidate the effect of varying dosages of silicon (Si) fertilizer application in Si-deficient and enriched paddy soils on rice phytolith and carbon (C) bio-sequestration within phytoliths (PhytOC). The maximum Si fertilizer dosage treatment (XG3) in the Si-deficit paddy soil resulted in an increase in the rice phytolith content by 100.77% in the stem, 29.46% in the sheath and 36.84% in the leaf compared to treatment without Si fertilizer treatment (CK). However, the maximum Si fertilizer dosage treatment (WG3) in the Si -enriched soil increased the rice phytolith content by only 32.83% in the stem, 27.01% in the sheath and 32.06% in the leaf. Overall, Si fertilizer application significantly (p < 0.05) increased the content of the rice phytoliths in the stem, leaf and sheath in both the Si-deficient and enriched paddy soils, and the statistical results showed a positive correlation between the amount of Si fertilizer applied and the rice phytolith content, with correlation coefficients of 0.998 (p < 0.01) in the Si-deficient soil and 0.952 (p < 0.05) in the Si-enriched soil. In addition, the existence of phytoliths in the stem, leaf, and sheath of rice and its content in the Si-enriched soil were markedly higher than that in the Si-deficient soil. Therefore, Si fertilizer application helped to improve the phytolith content of the rice plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon has been found to enhance the plants' tolerance to heavy metal stress. In a field study, the effect of different types of Si-rich soil amendments (slag, ground slag, and diatomaceous earth) and fertilizers (activated slag, ground activated slag, and commercial Si fertilizer) on the distribution of soluble and insoluble forms of Cd in the rice plant organs grown on long-term cultivated paddy soil contaminated with Cd (central part of Hunan Province, China) was investigated. The soluble Si and Cd were tested in the apoplast and symplast of the roots, stems, and leaves of rice at a tillering stage. The Si-rich materials increased rice biomass by up to 15.5% and reduced the total leaf Cd by 8.5 to 21.9%. Commercial Si fertilizer was the most effective. Three main locations of the most active Si-Cd interactions were distinguished in the soil-plant system: soil, where monosilicic acid affords adsorption and fixation of the bioavailable Cd and root apoplast and apoplast above roots, where monosilicic acid can precipitate Cd. The transport of Cd to stems and leaves and the mobility of Cd in the soil depend on the content of monosilicic acid in the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane is known to absorb more Si than any other nutrient from the soil; therefore continuous cropping of the plant at the same soil would bring consequences of more Si and organic matter depletion. Silicon (Si) is considered as a beneficial nutrient for sugarcane production while organic matter is well known as soil amendment. Field study was carried out to know the effect of organic and Si liquid fertilizer on growth, Si and N uptake, and yield of cane variety of PSBM 901. The study field was located at Kempleng village, Purwoasri, East Java and the study was done from May 2013 up to September 2014. Split plot design with three replicates was employed to arrange treatments. Organic matter types (no organic matter, Crotalaria juncea and manure) were set as main plots while Si liquid fertilizer concentration (0, 15% Si and 30% S) were arranged as sub plots. C juncea was planted at 15 days before planting of sugar cane, and after 35 days the C juncea were chopped and mixed into the soil. Manure was added one week before sugar cane was planted. Si liquid fertilizer was sprayed to the whole part of sugar cane plant at 30 and 50 days after sugar cane was planted. All treatments received basal fertilizer of 800 kg ZA/ha, 200 kg SP 36/ha and 300 kg KCl/ha. Results showed that interaction between organic matter and Si liquid fertilizer significantly affected on Si and N absorption, length of stem, yield and rendement of sugar cane. Addition of manure and followed by spraying of 30% Si liquid fertilizer gave the highest value of S and N absorption (869 g SiO2/plant and 720 g N/plant), cane yield (155.74 tons/ha) and rendement (8.15%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon (Si) was shown to be able to reduce arsenic (As) uptake by rice in hydroponic culture or in low As soils using high Si application rates. However, the effect of Si application on As uptake of rice grown in As-contaminated soils using Si fertilizer recommendation rate has not been investigated. In this study, the effect of Si application using Si fertilizer recommendation rate on As release and phytotoxicity in soils with different properties and contents of As was examined. The results show that the concentrations of As in soil solutions increased after Si applications due to competitive adsorption between As and Si on soil solids and the Si concentrations in soil solutions were also elevated to beneficial levels for rice growth. The rice seedlings accumulated more As and its growth was inhibited by Si application in As contaminated/spiked soils. The results indicate that there is an initial aggravation in As toxicity before the beneficial effects of Si fertilizing to rice were revealed when Si application based on fertilizer recommendation rate to As-contaminated paddy soils. Therefore, for As-contaminated paddy soils with high levels of As, the application of Si fertilizer could result in increasing As phytotoxicity and uptake by rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deficiency of available silicon (Si) incurred by year-round agricultural and horticultural practices highlights the significance of Si fertilization for soil replenishment. This study focuses on a novel and economical route for the synthesis of Si fertilizer via the calcination method using talc and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as starting materials. The molar ratio of talc to CaCO3 of 1:2.0, calcination temperature of 1150 °C and calcination time of 120 min were identified as the optimal conditions to maximize the available Si content of the prepared Si fertilizer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) characterizations elucidate the principles of the calcination temperature-dependent microstructure evolution of Si fertilizers, and the akermanite Ca2Mg(Si2O7) and merwinite Ca3Mg(SiO4)2 were identified as the primary silicates products. The results of release and solubility experiments suggest the content of available metallic element and slow-release property of the Si fertilizer obtained at the optimum preparation condition (Si-OPC). The surface morphology and properties of Si-OPC were illuminated by the results of scanning electron microscope (SEM), surface area and nitrogen adsorption analysis. The acceleration action of CaCO3 in the decomposition process of talc was demonstrated by the thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) test. The pot experiment corroborates that 5 g kg−1 soil Si-OPC application sufficed to facilitate the pakchoi growth by providing nutrient elements. This evidence indicates the prepared Si fertilizer as a promising candidate for Si-deficient soil replenishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon (Si) was shown to be able to reduce arsenic (As) uptake by rice in hydroponic culture or in low As soils using high Si application rates. However, the effect of Si application on As uptake of rice grown in As-contaminated soils using Si fertilizer recommendation rate has not been investigated. In this study, the effect of Si application using Si fertilizer recommendation rate on As release and phytotoxicity in soils with different properties and contents of As was examined. The results show that the concentrations of As in soil solutions increased after Si applications due to competitive adsorption between As and Si on soil solids and the Si concentrations in soil solutions were also elevated to beneficial levels for rice growth. The rice seedlings accumulated more As and its growth was inhibited by Si application in As contaminated/spiked soils. The results indicate that there is an initial aggravation in As toxicity before the beneficial effects of Si fertilizing to rice were revealed when Si application based on fertilizer recommendation rate to As-contaminated paddy soils. Therefore, for As-contaminated paddy soils with high levels of As, the application of Si fertilizer could result in increasing As phytotoxicity and uptake by rice., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)