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Importance of Silicon for sugarcane crop
Advisory ArticleAgroStar Agronomy Centre of Excellence
Importance of Silicon for sugarcane crop
Importance of silicon for many crops is increasing as many benefits of using silicon are now observed. Out of them, importance of silicon has increased a lot for sugarcane. Sugarcane crop absorbs Silicon on a large scale and stores it in the leaves and stem. Compared to other crops, sugarcane absorbs 250 to 300 kg silicon/acre.
1) Growth of crops: Silicon is stored in the cell walls of the leaves in the form of silica gel. As a result, a thick layer is formed on the leaf blade. This layer helps the crops to grow vigorously and the crop grows straight and their tendency to lie on the ground decreases. It helps the process of photosynthesis and the height of the crop and thickness of the stem and the number of shoots increase. Silicon produces sugar and works for maintaining it in the same form. The resistance power of the crop increases and percentage of evaporation through leaves decreases. The crop’s capability to withstand the stress of water increases. 2) Helps to keep percentage of nitrogen constant: If percentage of soluble silicon is more than 0.7% in the leaves, metals like Manganese does not stay in one place and spreads everywhere. So their adverse effects is prohibited. Due to silicon, the process of Phosphorus fixation in the soil decreases and phosphorus is well absorbed by the crops. Also, the amount of Phosphorus in the crops is controlled. The adverse effects of excessive Nitrogen are avoided and silicon helps to keep maintain nitrogen percentage. 3) Financially Profitable- Silicon fertilizers made from chemical sources are not affordable for farmers and so they cannot use them. When a traditional source is considered, as per the recommendation of Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, when 1 to 1.5 tonnes of bags of trash is used in sugarcane, it provides 400 kg silicon for the crop. Silicon is also supplied to sugarcane through compost of trash.
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