Silicon Foliar Spray and Substrate Drench Effects on Plant Growth, Morphology, and Resistance to Wilting with Container-Grown Edible Species

Joshua B Tebow,Ryan W Dickson,Lauren L Houston

doi:10.3390/horticulturae7090263

Joshua B Tebow, Ryan W Dickson + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7090263

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Journal: Horticulturae	Publication Date: Aug 25, 2021
Citations: 6	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate silicon (Si) foliar spray and substrate drench effects on plant growth and morphology for container-grown edible crops during greenhouse production, as well as resistance to plant wilting during post-production. In the first greenhouse experiment, basil received Si foliar sprays at 0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg∙L–1 Si. In the second greenhouse experiment, Si was applied as either a foliar spray (500 mg∙L–1 Si) or substrate drench (100 mg∙L–1 Si) with six edible crop species. Supplemental Si increased shoot Si levels but had minimal effects on plant growth and morphology, except for parsley, which resulted in distorted growth and phytotoxicity. In the first experiment, 200 and 400 mg∙L–1 Si foliar sprays increased plant resistance to wilt by 2.2 and 2.5 d, respectively; however, this was not observed in the second experiment. All species accumulated Si with the control (no Si) treatments, indicating trace amounts of Si were taken up from the substrate, fertilizer, spray surfactant, and irrigation water. Only cucumber was classified as a Si “accumulator” with a high capacity for Si uptake. Results emphasize the need to conduct preliminary trials with supplemental Si to avoid issues of phytotoxicity.

Highlights

Silicon (Si) is a major constituent of many mineral field soils, and not considered an essential element in plant nutrition, it has been reported to have beneficial effects on plant growth during crop production [1,2,3], under conditions leading to plant stress
Silicon foliar sprays ranging from 50 to 400 mg·L–1 Si increased leaf SPAD chlorophyll content compared to the control treatment (0 mg·L–1 Si) for container-grown basil (Tables 1 and 2)
Supplemental Si applied as a foliar spray and substrate drench increased shoot tissue Si for a range of container-grown edible species

Summary

Introduction

Silicon (Si) is a major constituent of many mineral field soils, and not considered an essential element in plant nutrition, it has been reported to have beneficial effects on plant growth during crop production [1,2,3], under conditions leading to plant stress. Field and soil-grown crops typically accumulate Si [2], but plant tissues can vary considerably in Si concentration ranging from 1 to 100 mg Si·g–1 dry weight depending on plant species and growing conditions. Plants grown in containers using soilless culture accumulate low amounts of Si compared to field production [3,7], primarily because the soilless growing substrates, applied fertilizers, and irrigation water sources used for container production are typically low in Si. Past research with container-grown floriculture species has shown that supplemental. Si applications during production can reduce disease pressure and increase plant quality [3,7,8,9,10,11], where Si is typically supplied by incorporation into the growing substrate, dissolving into the applied fertilizer solution, or as a foliar spray. Frantz et al [16]

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