TITLE:
Use of Silicon in Mitigating Ammonium Toxicity in Maize Plants
AUTHORS:
Cid Naudi Silva Campos, Renato de Mello Prado, Cassiano Garcia Roque, Antonio João de Lima Neto, Luiz Junior Pereira Marques, Aridênia Peixoto Chaves, Claudia Amaral Cruz
KEYWORDS:
Zea mays L., Beneficial Element, Nitrogen, Nutritional Disorder, Abiotic Stress
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.6 No.11,
July
24,
2015
ABSTRACT: Silicon is a beneficial element that can mitigate abiotic stresses, such as ammonium toxicity. The objective herein was to evaluate the effects of silicon (Si) on mitigating toxicity caused by excess ammonium in maize plants grown in nutrient solution. An experiment was conducted with maize plants (cultivar DKB 390 VT Pro II) grown in a greenhouse in pots (8 L) in a hydroponic system. The treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial, consisting of two ammonium concentrations (30 and 60 mmol·L-1) in the absence and presence of Si (10 mmol·L-1), arranged in a completely randomized design with six repetitions. At 28 days after applying the treatments the dry mass of shoots and roots was evaluated, along with accumulation of silicon and nitrogen in the shoots. The use of silicon resulted in increases in the studied variables, regardless of ammonium concentrations. Silicon reduced the effect of toxicity caused by ammonium excess in maize plants, resulting in greater growth and dry matter accumulation.