Abstract
The research aimed to determine the effects of Si application on photosynthetic characteristics of maize on saline-alkaline soil, including photosynthetic rate (P n), stomatal conductance (g s), transpiration rate (E), and intercellular CO2 concentration (C i) of maize in the field with five levels (0, 45, 90, 150, and 225 kg·ha−1) of Si supplying. Experimental results showed that the values of P n, g s, and C i of maize were significantly enhanced while the values of E of maize were dramatically decreased by certain doses of silicon fertilizers, which meant that Si application with proper doses significantly increased photosynthetic efficiency of maize in different growth stages under stressing environment of saline-alkaline soil. The optimal dose of Si application in this experiment was 150 kg·ha−1 Si. It indicated that increase in maize photosynthesis under saline-alkaline stress took place by Si application with proper doses, which is helpful to improve growth and yield of maize.
Highlights
Salinity and sodicity toxicities are worldwide agricultural and ecoenvironmental problems; it is estimated that there is approximately 27 million hectares of salinised soils in China’s coastal and inland areas [1]
Results showed that the parameter photosynthetic rate (Pn) in leaves of maize was affected significantly by Si application treatments and Pn was significantly decreased in later growth stages (Table 2)
Low level of Si application (T2, 45 kg⋅ha−1 Si) did not change Pn significantly and high levels of Si application (T4, 150 kg⋅ha−1 Si, and T5, 225 kg⋅ha−1 Si) increased Pn significantly (P ≤ 0.05), but there were no significant differences between the treatments of 150 kg⋅ha−1 Si and 225 kg⋅ha−1 Si dose
Summary
Salinity and sodicity toxicities are worldwide agricultural and ecoenvironmental problems; it is estimated that there is approximately 27 million hectares of salinised soils in China’s coastal and inland areas [1]. The saline and sodic soils, among which about 23% of the cultivated lands are saline and 37% are sodic, cover about 10% of total arable lands worldwide [2]. This kind of soil is widespread in arid and semiarid regions of the world and causes severe environmental and agricultural problems [3]. Silicon can alleviate the adverse effects of salt stress on plants by increasing cell membrane integrity and stability through its ability to stimulate the plants’ antioxidant system [9]. Graminaceous plants accumulate much more silicon in their tissues than other species [11]
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