Abstract
Silicon (Si) plays an important role in crop yields and is known as a beneficial element for gramineous plants. Si sources used as fertilizers in Brazil are mainly industrial by-products and naturally occurring silica-rich minerals, such as calcium silicates. There is still relatively little information about Si fertilization in the country, especially in the potential of diatomaceous Earth (DE) as a Si fertilizer compared to other widely used sources. In this context, we aimed at assessing the efficiency of a DE-based fertilizer as Si supplier to plants of sugarcane and maize grown on two soil types. We used a calcium silicate source widely used in Brazil for comparison as a positive control. Results showed that the DE fertilizer application provided linear increase in the biomass of sugarcane and maize in the tested soils. The improvement in crop biomass correlated well with the Si accumulation in the shoots of the plants. Besides, DE fertilizer improved crop performance by increased N, P, K, and S concentrations in plants. When compared to the calcium silicate source, the DE fertilizer provided the same Si supplying potential for the tested plants and higher relative biomass yield.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Diatomaceous Earth fertilizer produced a linear biomass increase in sugarcane.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“DE fertilizer application provided linear increase in the biomass of sugarcane and maize in the tested soils”
Claim · model-written summary
Diatomaceous Earth fertilizer produced a linear biomass increase in maize.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“DE fertilizer application provided linear increase in the biomass of sugarcane and maize in the tested soils”
Claim · model-written summary
Crop biomass improvement correlated with silicon accumulation in shoots.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“The improvement in crop biomass correlated well with the Si accumulation in the shoots of the plants.”
t0“sugarcane and maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Diatomaceous Earth fertilizer increased plant N, P, K, and S concentrations.
- Taxon
- sugarcane and maizet0
- Treatment
- DE fertilizere0
- Outcome
- N, P, K, and S concentrations in plantse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“DE fertilizer improved crop performance by increased N, P, K, and S concentrations in plants”
t0“sugarcane and maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Diatomaceous Earth and calcium silicate supplied silicon equally to the tested plants.
Verbatim
e0“the DE fertilizer provided the same Si supplying potential for the tested plants”
e1“a calcium silicate source widely used in Brazil for comparison”
t0“sugarcane and maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Diatomaceous Earth gave higher relative biomass yield than calcium silicate.
Verbatim
e0“When compared to the calcium silicate source, the DE fertilizer provided the same Si supplying potential for the tested plants and higher relative biomass yield.”
t0“sugarcane and maize”
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See all 1,164 papers →8 of 10 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
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.