Silicon's Role in Plant Stress Reduction and Why This Element Is Not Used Routinely for Managing Plant Health.

Numerous reviews and hundreds of refereed articles have been published on silicon's effects on abiotic and biotic stress as well as overall plant growth and development. The science for silicon is well-documented and comprehensive. However, even with this robust body of information, silicon is still not routinely used for alleviating plant stress and promoting plant growth and development.

Effect of Silicate Slag Application on Wheat Grown Under Two Nitrogen Rates.

Field studies were established on the alluvial floodplain soils in Louisiana, from 2013 to 2015, to evaluate the effect of silicate slag applications on productivity of wheat (), under sufficient and high nitrogen (N) application rates. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design, with four replications consisting of twelve treatments: a factorial combination of two N (101 and 145 kg N ha) and five silicate slag rates (0, 1, 2, 4.5, and 9 Mg ha), and two control plots (with and without lime).

Effect of Different Silicon Sources on Yield and Silicon Uptake of Rice Grown under Varying Phosphorus Rates.

A series of pot experiments were conducted to: (1) evaluate the effects of different Si sources (soil- and foliar-applied) on grain yield and Si accumulation of rice supplied with varying P rates, and (2) evaluate Si absorption of rice using foliar- and soil-applied Si fertilizers. Three P rates, (0, 112, and 224 kg ha) combined with five Si treatments (wollastonite and slag applied at 4.5 ton ha and one foliar Si solution applied at 20, 40 and 80 mg Si L) and a check were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications.

Silicon's Role in Abiotic and Biotic Plant Stresses.

Silicon (Si) plays a pivotal role in the nutritional status of a wide variety of monocot and dicot plant species and helps them, whether directly or indirectly, counteract abiotic and/or biotic stresses. In general, plants with a high root or shoot Si concentration are less prone to pest attack and exhibit enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, low temperature, or metal toxicity. However, the most remarkable effect of Si is the reduction in the intensities of a number of seedborne, soilborne, and foliar diseases in many economically important crops that are caused by biotrophic, hemibiotrophic, and necrotrophic plant pathogens.

Effect of silicon soil amendment on performance of sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on rice.

The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), is a pest of graminaceous crops in the southern USA, including sugarcane, maize, and rice. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of silicon (Si) soil amendments on performance of sugarcane borer, D.