SILICON FERTILIZATION AND ITS IMPACTS ON PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF RICE CULTIVARS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56238/arev8n5-137Keywords:
Carbon Balance, Oryza sativa, Production, Silicate FertilizationAbstract
Oryza sativa (rice) is one of the most important crops in the global agricultural sector. For rice cultivars, the mineral element silicon (Si) has been the focus of investigation due to its positive impacts on physiological, molecular, and productivity aspects. In this sense, the objective of this study was to verify the potential of Si on the productivity of rice cultivars with different morphophysiological characteristics. The methodology used consisted of evaluating three rice cultivars: IRGA-409, IRGA-423, and EPAGRI-109, which were subjected to fertilization with or without silicon, at a concentration of 2 mM, in the form of silicon dioxide (SiO₂), under rainfed cultivation conditions. Leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, growth, and productivity were evaluated. Si impacted panicle emergence uniformity and grain maturation in the rice cultivars. For the dry mass of vegetative organs (leaves, roots, and stems), no statistical differences were observed between plants with and without Si in the different cultivars. However, in terms of productivity, an increase in the number and biomass of filled grains was observed in the different cultivars treated with Si, these aspects being associated with an increase in the photosynthetic rate, without, however, altering the chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters. Thus, the use of Si in rice cultivars favors increased productivity and may constitute a viable alternative for field application.
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