Abstract
Description of the subject. Silicon is a beneficial chemical element, considered as “quasi-essential” for plant growth and production. Seven of the top ten most important crops in the world are silicon-accumulating Poaceae species, maize being one of them. However, the beneficial role of Si for plants is still under debate. Objectives. In this study, we evaluate the impact of three silicon concentrations in a nutrient solution on the development of maize plants. Method. We cultivated maize plants in a hydroponic system allowing to provide three contrasted silicon fertilization: (1) a silicon-deficient medium (0.05 mM); (2) a medium silicon supply, comparable to what can be found in an agricultural soil (0.6 mM); and (3) a highly enriched silicon medium (2.0 mM), named Si-, Si+ and Si++, respectively. Results. We found the silicon contents in aerial parts of plants to be strongly impacted by the concentration available in the growing medium: 0.247 g Si·kg-1 DW (Si-), 5.707 g Si·kg-1 DW (Si+) and 8.731 g Si·kg-1 DW (Si++). However, neither plant size nor phenology were impacted by silicon supplies. Both fresh leaf weight (+15.5%) and dry leaf weight (+13.5%) increased under Si++ (compared to Si-). Finally, neither root fresh weight nor root dry weight was impacted by Si fertilization. Conclusions. We conclude that increase in the concentration of Si in nutrient solution leads to increase in fresh and dry weight of the maize leaves.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Aerial silicon content under Si- was 0.247 g Si·kg-1 DW.
Zea maysNot reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“0.247 g Si·kg-1 DW (Si-), 5.707 g Si·kg-1 DW (Si+) and 8.731 g Si·kg-1 DW (Si++)”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Aerial silicon content under Si+ was 5.707 g Si·kg-1 DW.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“0.247 g Si·kg-1 DW (Si-), 5.707 g Si·kg-1 DW (Si+) and 8.731 g Si·kg-1 DW (Si++)”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Aerial silicon content under Si++ was 8.731 g Si·kg-1 DW.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“0.247 g Si·kg-1 DW (Si-), 5.707 g Si·kg-1 DW (Si+) and 8.731 g Si·kg-1 DW (Si++)”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon supplies did not affect plant size or phenology.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“neither plant size nor phenology were impacted by silicon supplies”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Si++ increased fresh leaf weight by 15.5% versus Si-.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fresh leaf weight (+15.5%) and dry leaf weight (+13.5%) increased under Si++ (compared to Si-)”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Si++ increased dry leaf weight by 13.5% versus Si-.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fresh leaf weight (+15.5%) and dry leaf weight (+13.5%) increased under Si++ (compared to Si-)”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon fertilization did not affect root fresh or dry weight.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“neither root fresh weight nor root dry weight was impacted by Si fertilization”
t0“maize”
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