FOLIAR APPLICATION OF SILICON ON YIELD COMPONENTS OF WHEAT CROP

Thomas Newton Martin,Jessica Deolinda Leivas Stecca,Ubirajara Russi Nunes,Diógenes Barella Pahins

doi:10.1590/1983-21252017v30n305rc

Thomas Newton Martin, Jessica Deolinda Leivas Stecca + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-21252017v30n305rc

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Journal: Revista Caatinga	Publication Date: Sep 1, 2017
Citations: 6	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

Abstract

ABSTRACT Wheat is a major winter crop in southern Brazil. To maximize its productivity, there should be no biotic or abiotic restrictions that can affect the yield components. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the changes caused in the wheat crop yield components by silicon foliar application. The experiment was conducted in two growing seasons. In the first year, five wheat cultivars (Quartzo, Campo Real, Onix and Fundacep Lineage) were assessed and in the second year four were assessed (Mirante, Campo Real, Horizonte and Quartzo). In both years the crops were subjected to three doses of silicon (0, 3 and 6 L of silicon ha -1). The silicon was applied during the tillering, booting and anthesis stages. The yield components assessed were the number of plants, number of ears, number of fertile tillers, dry matter per plant, hectoliter weight, number of spikelets, number of grains per spike, weight of hundred grains, grain yield and harvest index. Most yield components did not respond to the silicon foliar application. The harvest index (first year) and the number of tillers (second year) however presented a quadratic relationship with the supply of silicon. The remaining differences were attributed to variations among the wheat cultivars.

Highlights

The wheat grain is the second most cultivated crop in the world by volume, with production of around 2.7 billion tons (CONAB, 2016)
Silicon is effective in many species of plants, since it regulates transpiration (MA; TAKAHASHI, 2002), actsas an anti-stress factor, minimizes the harmful effects of extreme climatic factors such as water stress (KARMOLLACHAAB et al, 2013) and reduces the incidences of disease (MA, 2004; SORATTO et al, 2012) and pests, as well as toxicity caused by toxic elements in the soil (TAHIR et al, 2006)
The experiment was conducted without pests, diseases or weeds interfering with the experimental results, the result of the applied experimental management

Summary

Introduction

The wheat grain is the second most cultivated crop in the world by volume, with production of around 2.7 billion tons (CONAB, 2016). Balanced nutrition results in increased production potential for wheat plants, it is important that the plants grow and develop in the presence of essential mineral elements, which must be readily available to them. In addition to these essential elements, there are other elements that benefit plant nutrition, such as silicon (Si) (TAKAHASHI; MIYAKE, 1977). Silicon is not considered an essential element to most higher plants (KORNDÖRFER; PEREIRA, 2001), since it does not fit the essentiality criteria. Plants are considered good accumulators of silicon, with > 1% accumulation of this mineral (MA et al, 2001). Silicon is effective in many species of plants, since it regulates transpiration (MA; TAKAHASHI, 2002), actsas an anti-stress factor, minimizes the harmful effects of extreme climatic factors such as water stress (KARMOLLACHAAB et al, 2013) and reduces the incidences of disease (MA, 2004; SORATTO et al, 2012) and pests, as well as toxicity caused by toxic elements in the soil (TAHIR et al, 2006)

Objectives

Methods

Results