Abstract
Hydroponic cultivation offers a promising solution to water scarcity by using less water than traditional soil-based agriculture. Although the integration of silicon (Si) in hydroponic systems is still limited, its foliar application is crucial for optimizing plant growth, enhancing resilience, and improving productivity. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effects of silicon foliar application on growth, yield parameters, and photosynthetic activity of one of the most important fruit vegetables worldwide—tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.)—cultivated in a closed hydroponic system. Tomato plants were subjected to a weekly silicon foliar spray (1 mM Na2SiO3) over a period of 10 weeks. Our results demonstrate that silicon foliar spray in hydroponically grown tomatoes significantly improved photosynthetic pigment concentration and enhanced the photochemical efficiency of the photosystems, particularly the quantum yields Y(I) and Y(II). Moreover, silicon treatment resulted in reduced energy dissipation within the photosystems, as indicated by decreases in Y(NPQ), Y(NO), and Y(ND), along with enhanced oxidation of PSI (P700ox). These physiological improvements were directly linked to increased stem width and length, and a substantial boost in plant dry weight compared with untreated controls. Consequently, the silicon foliar spray resulted in a significant increase in the number of racemes, flowers, and fruits. Ultimately, these enhancements culminated in a 69% increase in fruit biomass yield (r2 = 0.70; p < 0.01), highlighting the positive impact of silicon on tomato productivity in hydroponic systems. These findings suggest that silicon foliar application optimizes growth and photosynthetic efficiency while reducing energy dissipation. Consequently, silicon supplementation enhances tomato productivity in hydroponic systems, offering a promising solution for increasing yields in water-efficient agriculture.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon spray significantly improved photosynthetic pigment concentration.
- Taxon
- tomatoes
Solanum lycopersicume0 - Treatment
- silicon foliar spraye0
- Outcome
- photosynthetic pigment concentratione0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Setting
- hydroponically growne0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“silicon foliar spray in hydroponically grown tomatoes significantly improved photosynthetic pigment concentration”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon spray enhanced photochemical efficiency, including Y(I) and Y(II).
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- silicon foliar spraye0
- Outcome
- photochemical efficiency of the photosystems, particularly the quantum yields Y(I) and Y(II)e0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Setting
- hydroponically growne0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“silicon foliar spray in hydroponically grown tomatoes significantly improved photosynthetic pigment concentration and enhanced the photochemical efficiency of the photosystems, particularly the quantum yields Y(I) and Y(II)”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon reduced energy dissipation indicated by Y(NPQ), Y(NO) and Y(ND).
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume1
- Treatment
- silicon treatmente0
- Outcome
- energy dissipation within the photosystemse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“silicon treatment resulted in reduced energy dissipation within the photosystems, as indicated by decreases in Y(NPQ), Y(NO), and Y(ND)”
e1“hydroponically grown tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon enhanced PSI oxidation.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume1
- Treatment
- silicon treatmente0
- Outcome
- oxidation of PSI (P700ox)e0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“silicon treatment resulted in reduced energy dissipation within the photosystems, as indicated by decreases in Y(NPQ), Y(NO), and Y(ND), along with enhanced oxidation of PSI (P700ox)”
e1“hydroponically grown tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon-associated physiological improvements were linked to increased stem width and length.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume1
- Outcome
- stem width and lengthe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- physiological improvementse0
- Comparator
- untreated controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These physiological improvements were directly linked to increased stem width and length, and a substantial boost in plant dry weight compared with untreated controls”
e1“hydroponically grown tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon-associated physiological improvements were linked to more plant dry weight versus controls.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume1
- Outcome
- plant dry weighte0
- Direction
- booste0
- Qualifier
- physiological improvementse0
- Comparator
- untreated controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These physiological improvements were directly linked to increased stem width and length, and a substantial boost in plant dry weight compared with untreated controls”
e1“hydroponically grown tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon spray significantly increased raceme, flower and fruit numbers.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume1
- Treatment
- silicon foliar spraye0
- Outcome
- number of racemes, flowers, and fruitse0
- Direction
- increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the silicon foliar spray resulted in a significant increase in the number of racemes, flowers, and fruits”
e1“hydroponically grown tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon increased fruit biomass yield by 69%.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume2
- Treatment
- silicon foliar spraye1
- Outcome
- fruit biomass yielde0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 69%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a 69% increase in fruit biomass yield (r2 = 0.70; p < 0.01)”
e1“the silicon foliar spray resulted in a significant increase”
e2“hydroponically grown tomatoes”
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