Liming an acid soil treated with diverse silicon sources: Effects on silicon uptake by sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) |
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| Authors: | Malcolm G Keeping Neil Miles R Stuart Rutherford |
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| Institution: | 1. South African Sugarcane Research Institute, Mount Edgecombe, South Africa;2. School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa;3. School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa;4. School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa |
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| Abstract: | Highly weathered soils are typically acid, with low plant-available silicon (Si), and may also be high in soluble aluminum (Al). We tested whether pre-liming an acid soil prior to silicate fertilizer application improved Si uptake by sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids), feasibly through elimination of reactive Al. Three trials with potted sugarcane were grown in an acid soil. Treatments included 11 different Si sources and 1- or 3-month pre-liming periods. Soil and plant tissue Si content and yield were determined. Pre-liming for a 1- or 3-month period did not increase plant Si uptake and reduced available soil Si throughout. Alkaline Si sources produced significantly more plant-available Si and greater plant uptake than non-alkaline sources. Silicon and lime treatments did not significantly increase yield. We conclude that pre-liming an acid soil before Si application is unlikely to significantly improve Si uptake by sugarcane. |
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| Keywords: | acid soils aluminum calcium silicate slag lime plant stress silicon sugarcane |
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