Agriculture & Horticulture

Biography

Biography: Prakash Nagabovanalli B

Abstract

Silicon (Si) is found beneficial in many crops and promotes the growth and development of plants under abiotic and biotic stresses. In the past decade, studies have focused on a better understanding of the mechanism involved in the Si transport and confirmed Si uptake by plants at the molecular level. Weathering reactions, leaching and intensive cultivation of high yielding cultivars can reduce the concentration of plant available Si in soil. This emphasizes the need for a good Si source in agricultural and horticultural crops.

The addition of silicate materials to crops started in Japan in the early 1950s and is commonly used in many parts of the world such as Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Sri Lanka, Brazil, South Africa, USA and other countries. Wollastonite (CaSiO3), iron and steel mill slags or their derivatives, K and Na silicates, foliar/ liquid formulations, Si minerals, calcium silicate hydrate, silica gel, thermo-phosphate, Diatomite, rice straw, rice hull, rice hull ash, sugarcane bagasse and other Si rich crop residues are the commonly used Si sources in different crops. But, for field application an ideal Si source should possess attributes like local availability, cost effectiveness, easy to handle, Si solubility and improve plant available Si and Si bioavailability, environment friendly and improve crop growth and yield. In India, the preliminary experiments using Si fertilization have given promising results in field crops like rice, maize, finger millet, sugarcane and potato and horticultural crops like grapes, tomato, pomegranate and banana. Calcium silicate and rice hull ash applied @ 2 to 4 t Si ha-1 and foliar silicic acid @ 2- 4 ml L-1 were found to improve Si content and crop yield. Application of slag improved the Si and Zn nutrition of rice with a favourable benefit: cost (B:C) ratio over calcite application