Abstract
• All plants grown in soil contain silicon (Si) in their tissues, with concentrations that vary from 0.1% to 10%
of their dry weight.
• Si is referred to as “quasi-essential” for the growth of higher plants due to its important role in alleviating
abiotic and biotic stresses. It can be taken up in a bio-available form - H4SiO4 (Ma et al., 2011).
• Work at the University of Hertfordshire showed that regular use of a Si nutrient enhanced constitutive
(passive) defence pathway (i.e. morphological changes in the leaf structure) in strawberry plants, resulting in
increased resilience to diseases (e.g. strawberry powdery mildew Podosphaera aphanis) and pests (e.g. twospotted spider mites Tetranychus urtiae). An increase in plant biomass and improvements on other agronomic
traits were also found (results shown from 2018-2019 glasshouse hydroponic experiments).
• Si is mainly laid down in epidermis and in the form of phytoliths.
of their dry weight.
• Si is referred to as “quasi-essential” for the growth of higher plants due to its important role in alleviating
abiotic and biotic stresses. It can be taken up in a bio-available form - H4SiO4 (Ma et al., 2011).
• Work at the University of Hertfordshire showed that regular use of a Si nutrient enhanced constitutive
(passive) defence pathway (i.e. morphological changes in the leaf structure) in strawberry plants, resulting in
increased resilience to diseases (e.g. strawberry powdery mildew Podosphaera aphanis) and pests (e.g. twospotted spider mites Tetranychus urtiae). An increase in plant biomass and improvements on other agronomic
traits were also found (results shown from 2018-2019 glasshouse hydroponic experiments).
• Si is mainly laid down in epidermis and in the form of phytoliths.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 23 Sept 2022 |
| Event | 4th International Strawberry Congress - Antwerp, Belgium Duration: 21 Sept 2022 → 24 Sept 2022 Conference number: 4 https://www.iscbelgium.com/ |
Conference
| Conference | 4th International Strawberry Congress |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | ISC 2022 |
| Country/Territory | Belgium |
| City | Antwerp |
| Period | 21/09/22 → 24/09/22 |
| Internet address |