Silica Accumulation in Potato ( L.) Plants and Implications for Potato Yield Performance-Results from Field Experiments in Northeast Germany.

The potato is the most important non-cereal food crop, and thus improving potato growth and yield is the focus of agricultural researchers and practitioners worldwide. Several studies reported beneficial effects of silicon (Si) fertilization on potato performance, although plant species from the family Solanaceae are generally considered to be non-Si-accumulating. We used results from two field experiments in the temperate zone to gain insight into silica accumulation in potato plants, as well as corresponding long-term potato yield performance.