Abstract

The aim of the research was to evaluate the effect of the interaction of silicon, potassium, and nitrogen on the foliar area, the accumulation of these elements in the aerial part and the dry biomass in corn plants. The research was developed under hydroponic conditions in Jaboticabal Sao Pablo, Brasil using the 30A77HX hybrid. Two silicon concentrations were evaluated (0 and 2 mmol L−1); two concentrations of potassium (1 and 12 mmol L−1) and four nitrogen concentrations: (1, 10, 15, and 20 mmol L−1). A completely randomized design was used, with factorial arrangement 2 × 2 × 4 and three replications. The foliar area, the dry biomass and, nitrogen, potassium, and silicon content were determined. The application of silicon at a high concentration of K causes an increase in the accumulation of K, which is reflected in an increment of the total dry biomass in the plants of corn, while excess and a deficit of N diminish the accumulation of Si in the aerial part of the plant, which is more evident at a low concentration of K in the nutritious solution, affecting the accumulation of the total dry biomass.

Highlights

  • Nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) are essential elements for plants life being part of multiple structural compounds and participating in many vital processes [1]

  • The application of silicon in the nutritious solution increased the biomass of the plants of corn and the accumulation of N, Si, and K in this, the foliar area did not increase, while a high-dose of K caused an increment of all evaluated variables

  • The results demonstrated that the treatments that stood out for a bigger absorption of Si stood out for higher total biomass, while those treatments that had shown higher accumulation levels of potassium manifested higher levels of dry biomass in the air part of the plant

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Summary

Introduction

Nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) are essential elements for plants life being part of multiple structural compounds and participating in many vital processes [1]. Silicon (Si) is not considered an essential element for plants, its absorption can produce beneficial effects in some crops, such as resistance to pests and diseases [2], attenuating abiotic stress [3, 4] and hydric stress [5]. Among the main accumulative crops of Si, are gramineous as sugar cane (Saccharum spp.), rice (Oriza sativa L.), and corn (Z. mays L.) [6]. Some research report about the effect of the combinations of silicon and nitrogen on plants [7–10] and silicon and potassium on the development of plants and yields [11], mainly in accumulative crops of silicon. There are not enough results on the effects produced by the interaction of silicon, nitrogen, and potassium on the accumulation of these elements inside the vegetables and their implications on the growth of the plants.

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