11/07/2018 / By RJ Jhonson
Researchers have found that amending the soil with silicon can mitigate the impact of salt stress on corn plants, providing a solution that will benefit countries facing problems with soil salinity.
Too much salinity exerts stress on plants, impairing their photosynthetic apparatus and preventing them from efficiently converting water and carbon dioxide into the glucose they need to survive. What’s more, the presence of salt in the soil prevents the plant from absorbing essential nutrients through their roots.
The researchers conducted a sand culture experiment where they determined the effects of salt stress, as well as the benefits of silicon on the development of maize plants. They planted two cultivars of corn in small pots with two levels of silicon (0 and 2 millimolar [mM] of silicic acid [H2SiO3]) and two levels of levels of salinity stress (0 and 60 mM salt [NaCl]).
The plants in the pots with high salinity exhibited reductions in dry matter yield, indicating poor health, as well as reductions in the concentration of potassium in their roots. Chlorophyll fluorescence tests also revealed lowered photosynthetic efficiency.
In contrast, the plants that grew in silicon-enhanced soil showed resilience despite the presence of salt. Their photosynthetic apparatus remained functional, while both their dry matter yield and water use efficiency (WUE) clocked higher than those in the non-treated plants.
The researchers concluded that treating the soil with silicon improves the chance of maize plants to resist the effects of high salinity by maintaining the function of their photosynthetic apparatus.
The study was published in Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science.
Soil salinity is one of what is called abiotic stresses or non-living threats to plant growth and survival. Here are some facts to know about the issue:
Learn about farming methods that benefit your community and the environment at Harvest.news.
Sources include:
Tagged Under: crops, food production, harvest, salt stress, silicic acid, Silicon, soil amedment, soil quality, soil salinity