Abstract
Sustainable management strategies are needed to improve agronomic efficiency and cereal yield production under harsh abiotic climatic conditions such as in tropical Savannah. Under these environments, field-grown crops are usually exposed to drought and high temperature conditions. Silicon (Si) application could be a useful and sustainable strategy to enhance agronomic N use efficiency, leading to better cereal development. This study was developed to explore the effect of Si application as a soil amendment source (Ca and Mg silicate) associated with N levels applied in a side-dressing (control, low, medium and high N levels) on maize and wheat development, N uptake, agronomic efficiency and grain yield. The field experiments were carried out during four cropping seasons, using two soil amendment sources (Ca and Mg silicate and dolomitic limestone) and four N levels (0, 50, 100 and 200 kg N ha−1). The following evaluations were performed in maize and wheat crops: the shoots and roots biomass, total N, N-NO3−, N-NH4+ and Si accumulation in the shoots, roots and grain tissue, leaf chlorophyll index, grain yield and agronomic efficiency. The silicon amendment application enhanced leaf chlorophyll index, agronomic efficiency and N-uptake in maize and wheat plants, benefiting shoots and roots development and leading to a higher grain yield (an increase of 5.2 and 7.6%, respectively). It would be possible to reduce N fertilization in maize from 185–180 to 100 kg N ha−1 while maintaining similar grain yield with Si application. Additionally, Si application would reduce N fertilization in wheat from 195–200 to 100 kg N ha−1. Silicon application could be a key technology for improving plant-soil N-management, especially in Si accumulator crops, leading to a more sustainable cereal production under tropical conditions.
Highlights
Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element after oxygen in the Earth’s crust, comprising approximately 29% (28.8% wt) of the Earth’s crust [1,2,3]
Our results showed that Ca and Mg silicate was an effective source of Si which increased Si accumulation in the shoots and roots of field-grown maize and wheat crops
The results suggested that Si application increases N agronomic efficiency and grain yield, so presumably less N would need to be applied when used in combination with Si
Summary
Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element after oxygen in the Earth’s crust, comprising approximately 29% (28.8% wt) of the Earth’s crust [1,2,3]. Si is considered a quasi-essential element rather than a plant nutrient, it is increasingly being applied in agricultural systems worldwide [2,3,4,5]. Silicon is known for its role in alleviating negative effects of stress on many plant species. Monocotyledons in general and Poaceae species such as maize (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are clearly favored due to an enhanced supply of Si [3,6,9]. It has been reported that some Poaceae species could accumulate Si to a level above 1% of total shoot biomass [7]
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