Effect of Silicon on Plant Growth and Drought Stress Tolerance

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acute drought stress technique, silicon increased wheat dry mass by 17% and the effect ...... application of 284.4 m g dm-3 Ca and Mg silicate to the soil increased proline ... (2011) state that “silicon application may be useful to improve the.
Utah State University

DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Graduate Studies

12-2012

Effect of Silicon on Plant Growth and Drought Stress Tolerance Kaerlek W. Janislampi

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Plant Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Janislampi, Kaerlek W., "Effect of Silicon on Plant Growth and Drought Stress Tolerance" (2012). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1360. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/1360

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EFFECT OF SILICON ON PLANT GROWTH AND DROUGHT STRESS TOLERANCE by Kaerlek W. Janislampi A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Plant Science (Crop Physiology) Approved: _________________________ Bruce Bugbee Crop Physiology Major Professor

_______________________________ Jeanette M. Norton Soil Microbiology Committee Member

_________________________ Paul R. Grossl Biogeochemistry Committee Member

________________________________ Mark R. McLellan Vice President for Research and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies

UTAH STATE UNIVERSTIY Logan, Utah 2012

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Copyright © Kaerlek Janislampi 2012 All Rights Reserved

iii ABSTRACT Effect of Silicon on Plant Growth and Drought Stress Tolerance by Kaerlek W. Janislampi, Master of Science Utah State University, 2012 Major Professor: Dr. Bruce Bugbee Department: Plants, Soils, and Climate Silicon is not considered an essential nutrient, but it is typically abundant in soils and can be taken up in large amounts by plants. Silicon is known to have beneficial effects when added to rice and several other plants. These effects include disease and insect resistance, structural fortification, and regulation of the uptake of other ions. In this study, the effect of silicic acid fertilization on the growth and drought tolerance of four crop plants (corn, wheat, soybean, and rice) was analyzed. Plants were studied using three cultivation techniques: 1) hydroponic solution and subjected to salt stress, 2) low-silicon soil-less medium (peat) and subjected to gradual drought stress, and 3) low-silicon soil-less medium (peat) and subjected to acute drought stress. Silicon was added both as reagentgrade Na2SiO3 and as a siliceous liming agent (PlantTuff). Both forms of Si generally improved drought and salt stress tolerance, but the effects were inconsistent. Silicon increased corn dry mass by up to 18% and the effect was statistically significant (p