trends & technology
“ The most common source of silicon in commercial fertilizers is potassium silicate . It is completely available to the plant and is water-soluble .”
So , what exactly is silicon , and is it the same as silica ? Silicon is the secondmost abundant element in the Earth ’ s crust and is used to make everyday items such as bricks , computer chips , solar panels , and glass . It makes up about a quarter of most rocks . Silicon and silica aren ’ t exactly the same , but they are related . Silicon is a chemical element , while silica is the common term for silicon dioxide , the combination of silicon and oxygen . Together , silicon and oxygen create a wide range of silicates , including quartz , tridymite , coesite , cristobalite , and stishovite . There are also silicates that include other elements such as feldspars , which also contain sodium , aluminum , potassium , and calcium . The most common source of silicon in commercial fertilizers is potassium silicate . It is completely available to the plant and is water-soluble . It is also alkaline , so you need to be sure to monitor your pH closely when adding it to your nutrient solution . In fact , it can be used strictly to increase your pH when it is at a high enough concentration . Silicon ’ s benefits are substantial and can mean the difference between a good yield and a great yield . Silicon strengthens cell walls and stems , creating a plant that can bear the weight of large fruit . A larger stem also means that a plant can uptake more nutrients and water at once , allowing the plant to grow larger faster . When fed to cuttings and seedlings , silica supplementation has been known to lessen the shock of transplanting and strengthen the stems at a faster rate .
Silica also aids a plant ’ s ability to withstand stress from temperature and drought . The strong cell walls are better able to expand and contract during extreme temperature changes so that the stress has less of an impact . This is especially helpful outdoors in the cooler seasons , when temperatures can drop drastically at night . It also helps a plant hold onto more water during transpiration , which is good during the hot , dry days of summer . Pests and disease will have a harder time attacking your plants when silicon levels are up , too . Silicon builds up in plant tissues and bind together to make it harder for pests to eat through the tissue . All this hard work takes more of the pests ’ energy and slows down their reproductive rates . Silicon has also been shown to ward off fungal diseases such as powdery mildew , rust , and pithium . Some studies have also shown that silicon specifically builds up in areas of infection on plant tissue to protect the plant from further disease . Foliar feeding with silicon is an effective preventative practice , especially if your environment is the hot and humid conditions in which fungal diseases would thrive . Many studies have been conducted on the effects of silicon in plants . A 1986 study on how the micronutrient affects cucumbers found many positive benefits . Most notable were the resistance to powdery mildew , more chlorophyll content in the leaves , increased root weight , and delayed senescence . In other words : the plants had more roots and greener , lusher foliage , leading to more fruits .
78 grow cycle