Benefits of Silicon fertiliser application on sports surfaces

Silicon based fertilisers are products whose benefits are gaining more and more interest among greenkeepers. We will review in this post what benefits there really are in silicon fertilisers.

Silicon is popularly associated with drought resistance, biotic stress or improved resistance to trampling. Is there formal documentation to confirm these beliefs?

Silicon is a fundamental element, for example, in the formation of most minerals and their degradation in most soils. But as with everything else, the chemical form of silicon is essential for it to be absorbed by the plant. Silicon can be deficient in very degraded soils, very organic soils or soils with very low Cation Exchange Capacity. The sandy soils of the greens, even if they are built with silica sand, often have little available silica.

The form of absorption of silicon is in the form of monosilicic acid, Si(OH)4

At plant level it is deposited in plant tissues in the form of amorphous silica gel. The Poaeceae, Equisetaceae and Cyperaceae families are known to accumulate silica.

The benefits of foliar silicon application against stunt have been identified in many crops, including turfgrass. The presence of silicon causes an upright growth by increasing the available photosynthetically active area by the sun. It is also related to the reduction of solar radiation leakage. electrolytes and in the suppression of insect feeding and plant diseases.

The silicon fertiliser increases structural strength by preventing the pathogens invade the plant.

The role of silicon in turfgrass has been shown to be positive against abiotic stress by improving leaf resistance through its deposition in the cuticle, so it may also be favourable for wear resistance. (Linjuan, Z., Junping, J., Lijun, W., Min, L., and Fusuo, Z. 1999). The following table summarises the positive effects recorded in trials:

It has also been shown to significantly improve photosynthetic capacity and to increase the content of chlorophyllespecially during the summer, when plants suffer from environmental stress. (Schmidt, R. E., Zhang, X., and Chalmers, D. R. 1999).

The positive effects of silicon on disease resistance continue to be studied.

The effect of Si on plant disease resistance is thought to be due to the accumulation of absorbed Si in the epidermal tissue and the expression of plant defence responses upon exposure to the element. The formation of a thickened Si-cellulose membrane resulting in a double cuticle layer protecting and strengthening the plants and a biochemical protection demonstrating resistance to degradation by enzymes released by fungi.

It seems that silicon fertiliser is going to be a major player in the field of biotic and abiotic stress resistance. If you would like to try silicon fertiliser please contact info@tiloom.com and we will help you.