Importance of Silicon in Soils and Plants | Chapter 02 | Research and Development in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 2
The crust of the earth is largely
composed of silicon that is found primarily as silicate minerals, secondary
alumino silicates and various forms of silicon dioxide. However, the abundance
of silicon in soils is not an indication that sufficient supplies of soluble
silicon are available for plant uptake. In this chapter, the outcomes of many
years of research conducted on silicon are consolidated to understand the state
of knowledge for silicon fertilization guidelines in crop production. The
monosilicic acid (H4SiO4) is the form of silicon used by
plants, which is found both in liquid and adsorbed phases of silicon in soils.
Silicon plays a very important role in drought tolerance because silicon fed
plants maintains higher leaf water potential. This is assumed to be due to the
formation of silica cutical double layer on the epidermis.
Author(s) Details
Dr. M. Yuvaraj [Ph.D.]
Department of Soil Science
and Agricultural Chemistry, Adhiparasakthi Agricultural College, Kalavai,
Vellore, India.
Prof. Dr. P. P. Mahendran
Department of Soil Science
and Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural College and Research Institute,
Madurai, India.
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