Overview

This volume presents a wealth of evidence to show that silicon plays a multitude of functions in the real world of plant life. Silicon applications often minimize lodging of cereals (leaning over or even becoming prostrate), and often cause leaves to assume orientations more favourable for light interception. For some crops, rice and sugarcane in particular, spectacular yield responses to silicon application have been obtained. More recently, other crop species including orchids, daisies and yucca were reported to respond to silicon accumulation and plant growth/disease control. The culture solutions used for the hydroponic production of high-priced crops such as cucumbers and roses in many areas (The Netherlands for example) routinely included silicon, mainly for disease control. The biochemistry of silicon in plant cell walls, where most of it is located, is coming increasingly under scrutiny; the element may act as a crosslinking element between carbohydrate polymers. There is an increased conviction among scientists that the time is at hand to stop treating silicon as a plant biological nonentity. The element exists, and it matters.

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"Dr. Lawrence E. Datnoff is Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Everglades Research and Education Center. Since 1988, he has been studying the role of silicon for plant disease control in rice in Florida, USA, Colombia and Brazil, and in turfgrass in Florida, USA. His interests have included understanding the interactions of silicon with fungicides, residual effects of silicon on disease development, enhancement of host plant resistance and the mechanism(s) of resistance. Dr. Datnoff is a former Associate Editor of Plant Disease, a Fulbright Scholar and a recipient of the University of Florida-Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences' Interdisciplinary Team Research Award. Dr. George H. Snyder is Distinguished Professor of Soil Science, University of Florida, Everglades Research and Education Center and a University of Florida Research Foundation Professor. Since 1979, he has been studying the role of silicon fertilization for rice and sugarcane grown on organic and sand soils in Florida, USA, and on Oxisols in other countries. In addition to plant responses, his interests have included soil testing for plant-available silicon, silicon analysis of plant tissue, and evaluation of various potential silicon fertilizers. Dr. Snyder is an Associate Editor of Crop Science, Past-President of the Florida Soil and Crop Science Society, and a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy and the Soil Science Society of America. Dr. Gaspar H. Korndörfer is Professor of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil. Since 1994 he has been studying the role of silicon fertilization for sugarcane, rice and pasture in Brazil and Florida, USA. His interests have included silicon plant responses, evaluation of potential silicon sources, soil testing for plant-available silicon, and the influence of silicon on plant tolerance to water stress. Dr. Korndörfer is also a CNPq Scholar and teaches ""Use of Fertilizer and Residues in Agriculture"" to graduate students."

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