Abstract
Depletion of extractable silicon (Si) from surface soil depths has been observed in managed production systems. While not characterized as a plant essential nutrient, Si accrues in epidermal and vascular tissue of monocotyledonous plants. A field evaluation of granular Ca/Mg-rich liming agents was initiated on a creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L. cv. Declaration) fairway in 2010. Excluding the control, treatments comprised 2440 kg (ha year)−1 topdressing of calcitic/dolomitic blended limestone or Ca/Mg-SiO3 in semi-annual or more frequent “split” applications. Each week of the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons, a dedicated wear simulator trafficked the fairway plots. Measures of canopy quality, clipping yield, tissue composition, soil pH, and plant-available soil Si levels were collected frequently. The described Ca/Mg-SiO3 annual topdressing rates correlated with acetic acid extractable Si levels >30 mg kg−1 in the 0- to 5-cm soil depth. Neither creeping bentgrass vigor, nutrition, nor leaf water content was influenced by significantly elevated levels of soil and tissue Si. Relative to non-trafficked plots, all split plots within trafficked main plots showed similarly reduced canopy quality regardless of topdressing treatment. If a critical threshold leaf Si concentration for creeping bentgrass wear tolerance enhancement exists, it is unlikely <11 g Si kg−1.
Highlights
Silicon (Si) is the second-most abundant element in earth’s crust and a steadfast component of soil minerals [1]
Liming agent treatment was a significant source of variation in soil pH or extractable Si only in the 0 to 5 cm depth (Table 2)
Pooled main effects of these influential soil measures are presented by sampling depth (Figure 2)
Summary
Silicon (Si) is the second-most abundant element in earth’s crust and a steadfast component of soil minerals [1]. Though not characterized as an essential nutrient, Si accumulates in the plant biomass of numerous genera [2]. Monocotyledonous plant uptake results in apoplastic silica deposition in the epidermal and cuticular tissue of shoots and the exodermal and endodermal tissue of roots [3,4,5,6]. Silicon depletion from shallow depths of production systems has been readily linked to plant assimilation [7,8]. Accumulation of Si in rice stalks has been correlated with application rate of soluble, silicate-rich amendments [9,10]. Topdressing or incorporating Ca- and/or Mg-SiO3 conditioner(s) into rootzones underlying creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.), tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort., nom. cons.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), bermudagrass
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