Abstract
A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the response in terms of forage yield components and water use efficiency (WUE) of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants to silicon (Si) application (4 kg K2SiO3 per pot) at varying soil moisture environments [35%, 50%, 65% and 80% of field water capacity (FWC)]. Alfalfa forage biomass and number of branches increased with increase in soil moisture level. Application significantly increased both parameters only at 50% and 65% of FWC. It also increased the instantaneous WUE of alfalfa plants at all soil moisture levels. On the other hand, the increase in cumulative WUE with Si application was significant only at 50% and 60% FWC. Si concentration in the shoot was highest at 65% of FWC, while in the roots, higher concentrations were obtained at 50% and 65% of FWC relative to the other soil moisture levels. Si application reduced both the transpiration rate and stomatal conductance but had no effect on photosynthetic rate. The results revealed that the promotive effect of Si application on biomass and WUE was regulated by the soil moisture conditions.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Alfalfa forage biomass and number of branches increased with soil moisture level.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae1 - Treatment
- soil moisture levele1
- Outcome
- forage biomass and number of branchese1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Setting
- pot experimente0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A pot experiment was conducted”
e1“Alfalfa forage biomass and number of branches increased with increase in soil moisture level”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon application significantly increased alfalfa forage biomass and number of branches only at 50% and 65% of field water capacity.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Treatment
- silicon (Si) applicatione3
- Outcome
- forage biomass and number of branchese1
- Direction
- increasede2
- Qualifier
- only at 50% and 65% of FWCe2
- Setting
- pot experimente0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A pot experiment was conducted”
e1“Alfalfa forage biomass and number of branches increased with increase in soil moisture level”
e2“Application significantly increased both parameters only at 50% and 65% of FWC”
e3“to silicon (Si) application (4 kg K2SiO3 per pot)”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon application increased instantaneous water use efficiency of alfalfa at all soil moisture levels.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae4
- Treatment
- silicon (Si) applicatione3
- Outcome
- instantaneous WUEe4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Qualifier
- at all soil moisture levelse4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“to silicon (Si) application (4 kg K2SiO3 per pot)”
e4“It also increased the instantaneous WUE of alfalfa plants at all soil moisture levels”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon application increased cumulative water use efficiency of alfalfa significantly only at 50% and 60% of field water capacity.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae4
- Treatment
- Si applicatione5
- Outcome
- cumulative WUEe5
- Direction
- increasee5
- Qualifier
- only at 50% and 60% FWCe5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“It also increased the instantaneous WUE of alfalfa plants at all soil moisture levels”
e5“the increase in cumulative WUE with Si application was significant only at 50% and 60% FWC”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon concentration in the shoot of alfalfa was highest at 65% of field water capacity.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Organ / stage
- shoote6
- Outcome
- Si concentratione6
- Direction
- higheste6
- Qualifier
- at 65% of FWCe6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa forage biomass and number of branches increased with increase in soil moisture level”
e6“Si concentration in the shoot was highest at 65% of FWC”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon concentration in the roots of alfalfa was higher at 50% and 65% of field water capacity than at other soil moisture levels.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Organ / stage
- rootse7
- Outcome
- concentrationse7
- Direction
- highere7
- Comparator
- the other soil moisture levelse7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa forage biomass and number of branches increased with increase in soil moisture level”
e7“while in the roots, higher concentrations were obtained at 50% and 65% of FWC relative to the other soil moisture levels”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon application reduced transpiration rate and stomatal conductance of alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Treatment
- Si applicatione6
- Outcome
- transpiration rate and stomatal conductancee6
- Direction
- reducede6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa forage biomass and number of branches increased with increase in soil moisture level”
e6“Si application reduced both the transpiration rate and stomatal conductance”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon application had no effect on photosynthetic rate of alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Treatment
- Si applicatione6
- Outcome
- photosynthetic ratee7
- Direction
- no effecte7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa forage biomass and number of branches increased with increase in soil moisture level”
e6“Si application reduced both the transpiration rate and stomatal conductance”
e7“but had no effect on photosynthetic rate”
Claim · model-written summary
The promotive effect of silicon application on alfalfa biomass and water use efficiency is regulated by soil moisture conditions.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae1
- Treatment
- Si applicatione7
- Outcome
- promotive effect of Si application on biomass and WUEe7
- Qualifier
- regulated by the soil moisture conditionse7
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Alfalfa forage biomass and number of branches increased with increase in soil moisture level”
e7“The results revealed that the promotive effect of Si application on biomass and WUE was regulated by the soil moisture conditions”
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soil water · yield · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Positive and negative results
6 papers in the same direction as this paper · 4 in the opposite direction
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See all 11 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.