Silicon Rich Fertilizers: Boosting Yield and Resilience

INTRODUCTION: Agriculture faces increasing challenges due to climate change, soil degradation, and rising food demand. To ensure food security and sustainable crop production, modern farming requires inputs that not only enhance yield but also improve resilience against stress factors. Silicon (Si) has emerged as a beneficial element that plays a vital role in strengthening crops, reducing losses, and improving overall productivity. Although silicon is not considered an essential nutrient, it provides significant agronomic benefits and is especially important in rice, sugarcane, wheat, and other cereals.
Importance of Silicon in Crop Production
 Structural Benefits: Strengthens cell walls, making plants more upright & resistant to lodging.
 Stress Tolerance: Enhances drought and salinity resistance by regulating water use and reducing toxic ion uptake.
 Nutrient Utilization: Improves efficiency of phosphorus and nitrogen uptake.
 Pest and Disease Resistance: Silicon deposition in leaves reduces (up to 50%) attack by insects (stem borer, plant hopper) and diseases (blast, sheath blight).
 Yield and Quality: Enhances grain filling (8-20%), milling quality & shelf life.
Sources of Silicon Fertilizers
Fertilizer Type Form Key Feature Application Method
Calcium Silicate Powder/Granules Moderate Si release Soil incorporation
Potassium Silicate Liquid Highly soluble Foliar spray/fertigation
SPIC Silicon Granular Contains soluble Si (Si(OH)₄) Applied at land prep
Rice Husk Biochar Organic residue Amorphous SiO₂, eco-friendly Soil amendment
Economic Perspective:
 Cost: ~800–1200 BDT/acre depending on product.
 Return on Investment: 2–4 times the cost due to yield gain and reduced crop loss.
 Sustainability: Maintains productivity in intensively cultivated soils.

Silicon-Deficient Rice-Growing Areas in Bangladesh: While a direct map of Si deficiency across Bangladesh isn't readily available, several lines of evidence suggest where Si depletion is most likely:
 Rainfed lowland regions—primarily in older paddy soils with limited Si reserves.
 Heavily farmed multiple-cropping plains, especially where Boro-Aman-Aus rotations are practiced. Continuous Si uptake by rice plants likely leads to gradual soil depletion.
 Organic or degraded soils, including certain peat and low-lying areas prone to flooding or salinity.
CONCLUSION: Silicon-rich fertilizers offer a sustainable solution for modern agriculture. They not only boost crop yield but also strengthen resilience against biotic and abiotic stresses. Wider adoption of silicon fertilizers can therefore play a key role in achieving food security and climate-smart agriculture.

1. Silicon-Rich Fertilizers: Boosting Yield and Resilience Fatima Zannath Mete; ID 23010005; PhD Fellow; Department of Agronomy; Shere -e- Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka Bangladesh INTRODUCTION: Agriculture faces increasing challenges due to climate change, soil degradation, and rising food demand. To ensure food security and sustainable crop production, modern farming requires inputs that not only enhance yield but also improve resilience against stress factors. Silicon (Si) has emerged as a beneficial element that plays a vital role in strengthening crops, reducing losses, and improving overall productivity. Although silicon is not considered an essential nutrient, it provides significant agronomic benefits and is especially important in rice, sugarcane, wheat, and other cereals.

2. Structural Benefits : Strengthens cell walls, making plants more upright & resistant to lodging. Stress Tolerance : Enhances drought and salinity resistance by regulating water use and reducing toxic ion uptake . Nutrient Utilization : Improves efficiency of phosphorus and nitrogen uptake. Pest and Disease Resistance : Silicon deposition in leaves reduces (up to 50%) attack by insects (stem borer, plant hopper) and diseases (blast, sheath blight). Yield and Quality : Enhances grain filling (8-20%), milling quality & shelf life. Importance of Silicon in Crop Production:

3. Sources of Silicon Fertilizers: Fertilizer Type Form Key Feature Application Method Calcium Silicate Powder/Granules Moderate Si release Soil incorporation Potassium Silicate Liquid Highly soluble Foliar spray/fertigation SPIC Silicon Granular Contains soluble Si (Si(OH)₄) Applied at land prep Rice Husk Biochar Organic residue Amorphous SiO₂, eco-friendly Soil amendment Silicon-Deficient Rice-Growing Areas in Bangladesh: While a direct map of Si deficiency across Bangladesh isn't readily available, several lines of evidence suggest where Si depletion is most likely: Rainfed lowland regions —primarily in older paddy soils with limited Si reserves. Heavily farmed multiple-cropping plains , especially where Boro - Aman -Aus rotations are practiced. Continuous Si uptake by rice plants likely leads to gradual soil depletion. Organic or degraded soils , including certain peat and low-lying areas prone to flooding or salinity. Figure: Rice Husk Biochar: A Sustainable Source of Silica for Soil Health and Crop Productivity

4. Silicon Fertilizer Manufacturing Process:

5. Economic Perspective: Cost : 800–1200 BDT/acre depending on product. Return on Investment : 2–4 times the cost due to yield gain and reduced crop loss. Sustainability : Maintains productivity in intensively cultivated soils. CONCLUSION: Silicon-rich fertilizers offer a sustainable solution for modern agriculture. They not only boost crop yield but also strengthen resilience against biotic and abiotic stresses. Wider adoption of silicon fertilizers can therefore play a key role in achieving food security and climate-smart agriculture. References: Ma, J. F. & Yamaji , N. (2015). A Cooperative System of Silicon Transport in Plants. Trends in Plant Science. IRRI (2020). Silicon Nutrition in Rice – Technical Bulletin. BRRI Reports (2019–2023).