Silica Fertilizer Research Articles

Respon Pupuk Fosfat dan Silika Terhadap Pertumbuhan Padi Hitam (Oryza sativa L. Indica)

Black rice produces black rice which contains a lot of nutrients for the body, but there is still not much research done in increasing the growth and productivity of black rice. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of increase in the productivity of black rice after the addition of phosphorus and silica fertilizers to black rice varieties. The experimental location is in Palir Village, Tengah Tani District, Cirebon Regency with a height of four 9 m above sea level. The type of soil in the experimental location was alluvial with a pH of 6. The experiment was carried out in March-August 2019. This experiment used a factorial RAK consisting of SP36 (P) fertilizer dosage and SipadiHS (S) Silica fertilizer dosage. The dosage of SP36 (P) fertilizer consists of P1 (50 kg ha-1) P2 (100 kg ha-1) and P3 (150 kg ha-1) while the dosage of SipadiHS (S) silica fertilizer consists of S0 (without silica), S1 (100 kg ha-1), S2 (200 kg ha-1) and S3 (200 kg ha-1). The results showed that there was an interaction with the variable height growth of plants aged 56 DAS in P2S3 and P3S3 treatments and the number of tillers 56 DAS in P2S1 treatment. Meanwhile, phosphate and silica treatments independently affected the observations of plant height at the age of 28 DAS and 42 DAS, Shoot Root Ratio at 42 DAS and 56 DAS. Keywords: black rice, SP36, Silica SipadiHS

Aplikasi Pupuk Cair Plus Silika Dengan Pupuk Anorganik N,P,K Terhadap Pertumbuhan dan Hasil Tanaman Padi (Oryza Sativa L.) Pada Inceptisol Jatinangor

This experiment aims to determine the effect of various concentrations of liquid fertilizer plus silica combined with N, P, and K inorganic fertilizers on the growth and yield of rice plants (oryza zativa). The trial was conducted in July 2018 to November 2018 in the Ciparanje experimental garden of the Faculty of Agriculture, Padjadjaran University, Jatinangor, Sumedang. The method used is Randomized Block Design (RBD) which consists of ten treatments with three replications; Treatment (A) Control, (B) standard NPK, (C) Plus Silica Liquid Fertilizer, (D) ¼ NPK + Silica Plus Liquid Fertilizer, (E) ½ NPK + Silica Plus Liquid Fertilizer, (F) ¾ NPK + Liquid Fertilizer Silica Plus, (G) NPK + Silica Plus Liquid Fertilizer, (H) ¾ NPK + ¼ Silica Plus Liquid Fertilizer, (I) ¾ NPK + ½ Silica Plus Liquid Fertilizer, (J) ¾ NPK + ¾ Silica Plus Liquid Fertilizer. The results showed that there was an effect of silica fertilizer on the growth and number of tillers after rice 8 MST. The treatment of F (¾ NPK + Liquid Fertilizer Plus Silica) gave the highest value to the yield of rice plants with the results of 53.31 gr of crop.

The Effect of Resin and NH4OH Addition in The Making of Ammonium Silica Fertilizer from Geothermal Sludge

Geothermal sludge is a waste product from geothermal where it contains SiO2 which can be used as fertilizer. In this study, the making of silica ammonium fertilizer was carried out by taking salicy acid from geothermal sludge by extracting and adding resin which was then modified with NH4OH addition. Extraction was done using 1000 ml of KOH 1 N to dissolve 60 grams of Geothermal Sludge. Resins are added with variations in resin weight, namely, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 grams. NH4OH was added with variations in concentrations namely 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15% with a ratio of filtrate and NH4OH solution of 1: 1. The resulting ammonium silica inorganic liquid fertilizer products were analyzed for free silica and ammonia levels. The results of this study indicate that the levels of free silica and ammonia are influenced by the weight of the resin used and the concentration of ammonium hydroxide mixed. From the results of the research, it was found that inorganic silica liquid fertilizer with the highest SiO2 content in ammonium silica liquid fertilizer occurred when adding 20 grams of resin with the addition of NH4OH with a concentration of 15% which was 1,831.87 mg / L while the highest NH3 content in fertilizer liquid ammonium silica occurs when adding 40 grams of resin with the addition of NH4OH with a concentration of 15% which is equal to 252,312.80 mg / L.

Response of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) to Silica Fertilization and Spraying with Nano-Potassium and Calcium

In order to assess the response of rice (cv. Anber 33) to silica fertilization and spraying with nano-potassium and calcium in some indicators of growth and yield of the plant, a field study was conducted in Al-Talea’a Township (district of 41-Al-Husseiniyah, south of Hilla City) / Babylon Governorate / Iraq for the period from 15/6/2020 until 19/11/2020.The experiment was carried out according to the split-plot design, and the parameters were distributed according to the arrangement of Randomized Complete Blocks Design (RCBD), where the levels of silica fertilizer were the main plot and the concentrations of the nano fertilizers were the subplot. The number of treatments became 16 treatment, with three replications per treatment. The first factor represented by silica fertilizer consisted of four levels: 0, 100, 200 and 300 kg ha−1, while the second factor represented by spraying nano fertilizers consisted of four treatments: control, nano-K, nano-Ca, nano-(K + Ca). Results showed that fertilizing by silica at a level of 300 kg ha−1 recorded the highest means of chlorophyll content (39.59 SPAD), plant height (143.67 cm), weight of 1000 grains (21.04 g), grains yield (5.76 Mg ha−1), and harvest index (30.96 %). Also, the spraying by nano (K + Ca) achieved the highest means of chlorophyll content (39.71 SPAD), plant height (142.84 cm), weight of 1000 grains (20.92 g), grains yield (5.52 Mg ha−1), biological yield (99.18 Mg ha−1), and harvest index (29.04 %). The interaction between fertilization with silica and spraying by nano (K + Ca) achieved the highest means of growth and yield indicators for rice plants when treated with silica (300 kg ha−1) and spraying by nano (K + Ca), it’s reached the chlorophyll content (41.17 SPAD) and plant height (146.60 cm), weight of 1000 grains (21.40 g), grain yield (6.14 Mg ha−1), biological yield (19.20 Mg ha−1), and harvest index (32.00%) against the lowest means of growth and yield indicators recorded in control plants, it’s reached the chlorophyll content (36.87 SPAD), plant height (133.19 cm), weight of 1000 grains (19.70 g), grains yield (4.25 Mg ha−1), biological yield (16.87 Mg ha−1) and harvest index (25.19%).

Effect of Silica Fertilizer to Growth and Yield of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Jajar Legowo Method

Aims: The research aimed to study the interaction between Jajar Legowo method and silica fertilizer doses to growth and yield of rice.
 Study Design: Factorial design in Completely randomized design
 Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted in farmer’s rice field in Linggo Sari Baganti, Pesisir Selatan, West Sumatera, Indonesia from July to Oktober 2020.
 Methodology: Factorial design with 2 factors in completely randomized design was used in the research. The first factor was Jajar Legowo method that consisted of 3 degrees (2:1, 3:1 dan 4:1) and the second factor was silica fertilizer doses that consisted of 4 degrees (0 ml/L, 5 ml/L, 10 ml/L and 15 ml/L). The data was analysed using F test 5% and continued by Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT) 5%
 Results: Generally, the interaction between Jajar legowo method and silica fertilizer did not affect the production of rice plant. But, for single factor both jajar legowo method and silica application affected the growth of rice plant
 Conclusion: The production per hectare of rice plant was lower than description so that this method should be improved to obtain the better result.

Silica Fertilizer (Si) Enhances Sugarcane Resistance to The Sugarcane Top Borer Scirpophaga excerptalis Walker

Sugarcane is an essential industrial that produce sugar in the world. Scirpophaga excerptalis attacks can reduce the productivity of sugarcane up to 34%. To enhance the resistance to multiple stresses, Silicon is one of the elements for its role. This research aimed to determine the effect of the provision of silica fertilizer as part of the Integrated Pest Management strategy. This research was conducted in the Plant Protection Department, Indonesian Sugar Research Institute. The compost given as treatment in this research was straw, cane, and corn composts. Organic silica fertilizer (compost) provides the same effect as inorganic silica fertilizer in increasing the induction of sugarcane resistance to sugarcane top borer (S. excerptalis). Rice straw compost was a compost fertilizer that provides the best sugarcane resistance to sugarcane top borer compared to sugarcane plants that treated with sugarcane and corn leave to compost

Effect of natural silica to alleviate salinity stress of tomatoes (Lycopersicum escullentum Mill.) on entisol

The aims of this research are to know the effect of silica fertilizer (Si), salt stress and their interactions on the agronomic characteristics of tomato plants on Entisol soil. The experiment employed factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 2 factors experiments i.e. level of conductivity, namely K0 = 0ds/m / pot, K1 = 1ds/m / pot, K2 = 2ds/m/pot, and K3 = 3ds/m/pot, and doses of Si fertilizer, namely S0 = 0g/pot, S1 = 5g/pot, S2 = 10g/pot, and S3 = 15 g/pot. There were 16 treatment combinations with 3 replications, in total 48 experimental unit were used. The variables observed were plant height, number of leaves, chlorophyll content, flowering age, number of flowers, number of fruits, fruit weight, and fruit volume. The application of Si fertilizer increased the number of tomato flowers. Salinity stress reduced plant height and weight of tomatoes. The interaction of silica fertilizer (Si) and salt stress influences the number of leaves and the number of flowers. The highest number of leaves was at the dose of KCl 1 ds/m/plant and silica fertilizer 5 g/plant, while the highest number of flowers was at the dose of KCl 3 ds/m/plant and silica fertilizer 10 g/plant.

A method for production of pure silica as fertilizer from industrial waste material

Globally, industrial waste such as fly ash, bottom ash, and slag in the thermal power energy, steel, and coal industry has been known as potential soil ameliorant and silica fertilizer. However, the use of those materials as ameliorant or Si fertilizer should consider negative environmental impact. Therefore, to use that material in Indonesia need to deal with the regulation and to prove its positive effect on the soil and plant. One innovative idea for recycling industrial waste is to use those raw materials to produce high purity Si as fertilizer. The objective of this research was to improve the solubility of Si from industrial waste material using a sol-gel technique. High purity of Si from materials was prepared using an acid and base solution. Two kinds of materials were selected to produce high purity Si, namely: bottom ash and fly ash. Silicon concentration of material before and after treatments were extracted by using two extraction method, namely: Na2CO3/NH4NO3 and 0.5 M HCl. The results show that the Si concentration of materials was higher with the sol-gel technique compared to Si concentration before treatment. In summary, this study provides an effective method to produce available Si from waste material.

The Effect of N, P, K, and Si Fertilizers on pH, P-available, P-uptake and Black Rice Yield (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L. indica) on Dryland Inceptisols

Black rice is a type of rice variety found in Indonesia and is well-known as a functional food with a high anthocyanin content which beneficial for those who consume it. Dryland has the potential to support growth of black rice plants, because it has a wide distribution in Indonesia, but has problems with soil fertility such as soil pH and low availability of P nutrients. The problem in dryland requires proper handling, one of which is by using N, P, K, and Si fertilizers. This study aims to determine the effect of N, P, K, and Si fertilizers on pH, P-available, P uptake, and yield of black rice (Oryza sativa L. indica) on dryland Inceptisols. This research was conducted from November 2020 to March 2021 at Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition Research Area, Faculty of Agriculture, Padjadjaran University, Sumedang district, West Java and the analysis process at the Laboratory of Soil Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Department of Soil and Land Resources Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Padjadjaran University. The experimental design was carried out using a randomized block design consisting of eight treatments with four replications. The doses of N, P, K fertilizers used were ¾ and 1 (Urea 300 kg ha^-1, SP-36 50 kg ha^-1, and KCl 50 kg ha^-1) and the doses of silica fertilizer used were 2, 1½, and 1 (2 mL L^-1). The results showed that the combination of fertilizer with a dose of 1 N, P, K followed by 1 silica gave the highest yield of black rice on dryland as much as 77.78 g plant^-1 or equivalent to 10.58 t ha^-1.

Application of bio-silicic acid to improve yield and fertilizer efficiency of paddy on tidal swamp land

The soils in tidal swamp land as new development area for rice in Indonesia have a considerably low available silica (Si) because very acid condition and no Si fertilization. Therefore, increasing the productivity of rice as Si accumulator plant, in tidal swamp land requires silica fertilizer. This research presented the effect of applications of silicon in the form of orthosilicic acid (H4SiO4) enriched with selected Sisolubilizing fungi, formulated as 4-gram tableted Si fertilizer (BioSilAc) on tidal swamp land soil to improve yield and reduce chemical fertilizer dosage for rice. Field experiment was conducted in Ketapang subdistrict, South Lampung by using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with six treatments and four replicates. The treatments consisted of (ha-1 season-1): 100% NPK recommended dosage (P1); 100% NPK + 80 BioSilAc tablets (P2); 75% NPK + 80 BioSilAc tablets (P3); 75% NPK + 100 BioSilAc tablets (P4); 50% NPK + 120 BioSilAc tablets (P5); and control (P6). The results showed that P2 treatment increased the highest rice yield in dried harvested grain by 7.6% or equivalent to 500 kg ha-1 compared to P1 treatment. The highest fertilization efficiency can be achieved in P4 treatment which means the NPK recommended dosage can be reduced 25% by adding 100 BioSilAc tablets ha-1 season-1 indicated by insignificantly different productivity compared to that of P1. The Revenue/Cost (R/C) values showed that P2 treatment was economically feasible fertilization practices.

Pengaruh Pupuk Silika Terhadap Pertumbuhan dan Produksi Kedelai pada Tanah Salin

<p>Silica fertilizer is applied to the soil for the purpose of reducing the effects of salinity stress. This research study was conducted to examine the effect of fertilization ratio with different sources of silica to soybean growth and production on saline soil. The methods used was Completely Randomized Factorial Designs 2 x 6 with 3 replications. The first factor was soil salinity levels (A), consists of A1 (±3 dS/m) and A2 (±6 dS/m). The second factor was different silica fertilizer aplications (B) which consists of B0 (without silica), B1 (100% zeolite), B2 (75% zeolite, 25% liquid silica), B3 (50% zeolite, 50 % liquid silica), B4 (25% zeolite, 75% liquid silica), and B5 (100% liquid silica). Parameters observed in this research were plant height, number of leaves, number of pods, pod weight, number of seed and seed weight. Data was analyzed by analysis of variance followed by Duncan's Multiple Range Test. The result showed that the application of silica fertilizer through soil and leaves (50% zeolite, 50 % liquid silica) improved the growth and yield of soybean on soil with moderately saline (3 dS/m). application of silica fertilizer (50% zeolite, 50 % liquid silica) improved the growth and yield of soybean. The higher soil salinity reduced soybean growth and yield. Moreover, the utilization of silica minimized the decrease in soybean growth and yield.</p>

Leaf anatomy response of several varieties of rice (Oryza sativa L.) to the application of silica fertilizers

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) requires large amounts of silica for its growth. This study aims to determine the response of leaf anatomy and agronomic performance of several rice varieties to the application of Silica fertilizer. The study was conducted in the first rainy season of 2018 (November 2017 to March 2018 in Semanu, Gunungkidul, Indonesia. The study was arranged in factorial, the first factor was 4 rice varieties (V1 = Inpari blast, V2 = Inpari 42, V3 = Ciherang, and V4 = Inpari 33), the second factor is the treatment of Silica fertilizer dosage (P1 = 250 kg / ha of Silica fertilizer; P2 = 500 kg / ha of Silica fertilizer, P3 = 1,000kg / ha of husk ash, and P4 = 750 kg / ha of Silica fertilizer). Observing agronomic traits including plant height, number of productive tillers, number of filled grains per panicle, and productivity). In addition to observing agronomic traits, microscopic observations of leaf anatomy were also carried out with thick upper and lower epidermal cells, cuticles in the upper and lower epidermis, mesophyll thickness in major and minor intervenous regions. The data obtained were analyzed for variance (ANOVA = Analysis of variance) and Duncan’s advanced test using SAS version 9.2. The results showed that the administration of silica fertilizer increased rice growth and productivity as well as increasing the thickness of the epidermis and upper and lower cuticles both in major and minor intervenous. The highest productivity was achieved by Inpari 42 varieties in the application of 750 kg Silica fertilizer/ha (9.69 ton/ha Harvested Dry Grain).

The Effect of N, P, K Fertilizer and Nano Silica Fertilizer to Total N Content, N Uptake, and Black Rice Yield (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L. Indica) on Inceptisols from Jatinangor

Black rice is a functional food with high anthocyanin content that can be beneficial for health. Inceptisols have the potential to support the growth of black rice plants because it is widely distributed in the mainland region of Indonesia, which is around 70.52 million ha. However, it has problems with its relatively low soil fertility, especially in the nutrient content of N. These problems need to be sought with proper handling, one of which is by fertilizing using N, P, K fertilizer and Nano Silica fertilizer. This study aims to determine the effect of N, P, K fertilizer and Nano Silica fertilizer on total N content, N uptake, and Black Rice Yield (Oryza sativa L. indica) on Inceptisols from Jatinangor. This research was conducted in September 2019 until January 2020 in the Ciparanje Experiment Garden, Faculty of Agriculture, Padjadjaran University, Jatinangor, Sumedang, West Java, with an altitude of 750 meters above sea level. The experimental design was carried out using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) consisting of nine treatments with three replications. The results showed that the combination of 1 N, P, K fertilizer (Urea 300 kg ha-1, SP-36 50 kg ha-1, and KCl 50 kg ha-1) followed by giving of 1 Nano Silica fertilizer (2 mL/L) gives the best black rice yield with Dry Grain weight of 82.20 g/plant or equivalent to 11.18 t ha-1.

The effect of silica liquid fertilizer from straw and formulation of bacillus sp for rice growth (Oryza sativa L.) and tolerance to fungi Pyricularia oryzae Cav

Blast disease caused by Pyricularia oryzae.This disease which generally was caused by environmental conditions, plant age, and the level of plant resistance. One of effort to control it was used insecticides, where more used could adversely affect the environment due to toxic chemical residues. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the used of silica liquid fertilizer from straw and the formulation of Bacillus sp for the growth of rice and tolerance to diseases of blast or Pyricularia oryzae. The method was the factorial RAKL pattern with 2 treatment factors that were dosage formulation of Bacillus sp and the composition of liquid silica fertilizer with 6 repications for each treatment. Data analysis was used ANOVA with significant level of 5% and continued with the Smallest Significant Difference Test (DMRT). The results of the study showed that the added of liquid silica with a concentration of 12 ml and the formulation of Bacillus sp 6 grm / pot gave a significant effect on plant height, number of leaf tillers, and mean percentage of damage to rice.

Pertumbuhan, Produksi, dan Kualitas Buah Melon dengan Pemberian Pupuk Silika

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a plant that has economic value and has been cultivated in several areas of Indonesia with intensive fertilization. The mineral nutrient that is expected to improve the quality of melon growth and fruit is silica. The aim of the research was to improve the growth and melon fruit quality by addition of silica fertilizer. The treatments in this experiment were the application of silica (Novelgro, water soluble) which was carried out on melon plants with silica concentrations of 0.67; 1.33 ppm; and control (without silica). The results showed that silica increased the plant height, leaf area, and diameter of melon fruit. Melon plant with silica treatment of 1.33 ppm had silica content in the high category (>4% Si) which was 5.31% in the skin of the fruit. Moreover, the addition of silica can prolong the fruit storage period in room temperature compared to control.

Combination of Sinabung Volcanic Ash and Humic Acid Against Characteristics of Humid Silica Fertilizers

Volcanic ash from Mount Sinabung has a large silica (SiO2) content of 69,93% and contains minerals needed by soil and plants. This potential cannot be directly utilized due to the acidic nature of volcanic ash which can damage plants. To be used as fertilizer, the process can be accelerated by adding humic acid from chicken manure. So the purpose of this study is to manufacture humic silica fertilizer by combining volcanic ash with humic acid from chicken manure and and the characteristics of humic silica fertilizer. In this study a method of extracting humic acid from chicken manure was used using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) 0,25 M solution and mixing volcanic ash with humic acid. The results of humic acid extract from chicken manure were then combined with volcanic ash from sinabung. Nutrients from the combination obtained at variation 60:40 with the highest organic C were 1.37%, N total 0.24%, Phosphate 20.64 ppm and Potassium 0.664 me / 100g with pH fertilizer 6 and crumb texture and free neutral which indicates the fertilizer is ready to use.

Application of Humid Silica Plus Fertilizer with Various Combinations of Planting Media

Volcanic ash contains minerals needed by soil and plants with the highest composition of total elements, namely Ca, Na, K and Mg, other macro elements in the form of P and S, while micro elements consist of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu. The layer of volcanic dust that has the potential to contain nutrients for soil fertilization for agriculture can actually only be used about 10 years after the spread of volcanic ash. Soil fertilization can be accelerated if mixed with organic materials such as by using chicken manure fertilizer which has nutrients from chicken manure: N = 1.7%, P2O5 = 1.9%, K2O = 1.5%. Humic acid helps regulate clay and soil improvement, binds and transfers micro elements from the soil to plants, increases water absorption, and stimulates the development of microorganisms in the soil. Therefore, this study was conducted to make humic silica fertilizer in the planting medium by utilizing volcanic ash in combination with chicken manure mixed with soil. In this study apart from being a source of humic acid, chicken manure is also beneficial because it contains microorganisms which will be useful in accelerating the fertilizer incubation process. The composition of the fertilizer mixture used in this study is: volcanic ash sinabung: chicken manure: soil = 20: 50: 30; 30: 50:20; 40: 50: 10. The mixture is stirred evenly and then incubated for 30 days. After 30 days, the nutrient content of these fertilizers was tested and the highest content of the nutrients obtained in the combination was 20:50:30 namely: Organic C-1.35%, N-total 0.2%, P-available 20.16 ppm , K-available 0.527 me / 100g, C / N 6.75%, and humic acid contained in 3.925%

Study of the feasibility of a rice husk recycling scheme in Japan to produce silica fertilizer for rice plants

Rice husks are resources that should be recycled in a sustainable way, thus creating a win-win relationship between stakeholders, consumers, and society. Silica is a very valuable material and used for many industrial purposes. A Rice husk contains 20% of silica by weight, and can therefore be considered a biological silica ore. To recycle rice husks in a sustainable way, the ash produced from burning rice husks must also be used as a resource. In this study, based on the concept that rice husk ash should be recycled as silica fertilizer, we compared the economic feasibility of two recycling systems: Heat recovery from hot water and generation of electricity from hot water. Questionnaires were also conducted regarding farmers’ expectations of silica fertilizer made from rice husk ash. We found that the system involving heat recovery from hot water was sustainable; however, generating electricity from hot water was cost-prohibitive. It must be noted that the validity of this result might be limited to Japan, where electricity generation is highly regulated. On the other hand, areas that already struggle to dispose of their rice husks should consider using rice husks to produce energy.

Uji Kelarutan Si Tersedia pada Trass Bakar dan Non Bakar

Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mempelajari kelarutan Si tersedia antara trass bakar dan non bakar dan penentuan formula terbaik untuk dijadikan sebagai pupuk silika. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Laboratorium Kimia dan Kesuburan Tanah, Departemen Ilmu Tanah dan Sumberdaya Lahan, Institut Pertanian Bogor. Rancangan Percobaan yang dilakukan adalah split plot dengan petak utama terdiri dari trass bakar dan non bakar, dan anak petak terdiri dari dosis trass yang dikombinasikan dengan CaCO3 yaitu 100% trass, 83.33% trass+16.67 CaCO3, 66.67.% trass +33.33% CaCO3, masing-masing perlakuan diulang sebanyak tiga kali, sehingga total satuan percobaan ada 18. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa trass bakar menunjukkan hasil kelarutan silika tersedia tertinggi dibandingkan trass non bakar. Kombinasi 83% trass+ 17% CaCO3 menunjukkan Si tersedia tertinggi yaitu 120.02 ppm, 72.67 ppm dan 53.43 ppm berturut-turut dengan pengekstrak ammonium asetat pH 4.8, 0.5 M HCl dan H2O.

Biochemical alternation and silicon accumulation in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in response to root and foliar application of two sources of silicon

Silica deposits in leaves of groundnut ranged from 3.23 to 6.16% and 2.61 to 6.52% when sodium meta silicate was applied as foliar spray at the rate of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.5 and 5.0%, and soil application at the rate of 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, 15 and 20% and 4.44 to 11.94% and 3.57 to 9.33% when calcium silicate was applied through leaves and soil at the same doses, respectively in contrast to 2.0% in plants without silica fertilizer applications. Similarly, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity was highest (43.26 units) in plant system, in case of foliar spray of calcium silicate at the rate of 5.0% and 33.80 units with reference to foliar spray of meta silicate at the rate of 5.0% whereas it was only 19.10 units in untreated check. Among the two sources of silica fertilizers tested, foliar spray of calcium silicate at 5.0% was effective in facilitating the maximum deposition of silica content apart from increasing the activities of PPO in groundnut leaves.