The Science of Silicon
The science behind Agripower’s Agrisilica® is compelling
Silicon is found naturally in soil and water. Why add more?
Silicon (Si) is second only to oxygen as the earth’s most abundant element. However, in order to be taken up by plants, silicon must be in soluble form: monosilicic acid or orthosilicic acid Si(OH)4 – also known as Plant Available Silicon (PAS).
PAS in nature is often not available in sufficient quantities for crops, due to leaching, being bound to other soil minerals, or loss caused by soil erosion. Agripower’s Agrisilica® contains a uniquely high amount of PAS. One of nature’s key building blocks, plants need silicon for growth, strength and reproduction. Agripower’s Agrisilica® delivers PAS in dry or liquid fertiliser options, revitalising and conditioning soils, and improving plant biology actions which stimulate growth and protect plants.
Soils need Silicon
Important environmental benefits from adding PAS to soils include:
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions (particularly nitrogen volatilization)
- Reduced water consumption
- Reduced nutrient leaching and run-off into ground water, water systems and oceans (less aquatic/marine ecosystem damage)
- Increased carbon sequestration in soils and plants.
Optimising Nutrient Outcomes
Silicon, in plant available form, will:
- Deliver its own specific benefits to soils and plants
- Optimise fertiliser performance – traditional fertilisers including NPK, MAP and DAP will have their benefits optimised when accompanied by Agrisilica®.
AAPFCO and other key organisations have recognised the value of plant available silicon as a beneficial nutrient in agriculture.
Law of the Minimum
The PAS Effect In Reducing GHG emissions
The PAS Effect
How PAS Increases
Nutrient and Water
Use Efficiency and
Reduces GHG Emissions
- PAS - Plant Available Silicon
- N P K - Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium
- N2O - Nitrous Oxide (greenhouse gas)
- CH4 - Methane (greenhouse gas)
- H2O - Water
- ROS - Reactive oxidative species
2 ROS are toxic by-products of metabolisn that increase under abiotic and biotic stress
The PAS effect on WATER
- Increases water-use efficiency throughout plant
- Reduces water-loss from leaves (transpiration)
- Reduces need for heavy irrigation
The PAS effect on NPK & GHG EMISSIONS
- Counteracts negative effects of excessive N
- Decreases nutrient leaching and runoff
- Decreases N2O emissions & denitrification
- Decreases CH4 emissions
- Increases greater root area for nitrogen uptake
- Increases Nutrient-use efficiency and retention in cropland
- Increases fixation of nitrogen in plants by rhizobia
The PAS effect on CARBON
- Reduces physiological stress
- Reduces reactive oxidative species (ROS) production 2
- Increases biomass carbon accumulation
- Increases photoassimilates production 1
- Increases net photosynthetic rate
- Increases carbon immobilization (sequestration) in phytoliths
Crop Production
Powered by Agrisilica®
Adding Agrisilica® (high in PAS) increases photosynthesis:
- Plant leaves are held more upright capturing more sunlight, increasing photosynthesis rates
- Reduces lodging, make plant more erect
- Increased photosynthesis results in increased plant energy and increased root growth
- Increased root growth results in increased capture and uptake of more nutrients and water.
Adding Agrisilica® (high in PAS) increases crop resilience to Abiotic & Biotic crop stresses:
- Plant less susceptible to extreme conditions e.g. drought, salinity, alkalinity, heat, frost
- Transpiration rates are lowered (reducing water loss)
- PAS is stored in growing points as phytoliths.
- PAS includes plant’s natural defence responses to pests and pathogens via a combination of:
- Physical measures (increased plant cell wall thickness) and
- Biochemical measures (increased antioxidant and enzymes activities).
- Improves soil structure (oxygen)
- Increases plant root growth for improved uptake of water and nutrients
- Increases soil organic matter
- Increases soil’s water holding capacity, more water available to plant as needed
- Increases soil biology / microbial activity
- Harmful minerals (e.g. aluminium, cadmium, sodium) are ‘locked up’ in the soil
- Leaching of valuable nutrients is reduced.
Agrisilica® improves crop resilience
Abiotic and Biotic plant stress cause up to 82% crop losses globally threatening food security and farmer incomes.
Reduced growth
Reduced productivity
Reduced water uptake
Reduced photosynthesis
Altered transpiration
Decreased nutrient assimilation
Heavy metal toxicity
Reduced growth
Reduced productivity
Reduced crop quality
Reduced resilience
Agrisilica® - Proven mitigator against abiotic and biotic stress
Powered by Knowledge
The value to agriculture of silicon to crops has been well established for over 70 years. Now, with 100% natural PAS-enriched Agrisilica®, agriculture is enjoying the ‘power of differentiation’. Agripower invests continually in knowledge building as climate change, food safety, environmental protection and food security present challenges to 21st century agriculture.
To learn more about Agripower’s ongoing work, specific crop information (yield, quality, pests, pathogens, climatic impact), environmental value-adds or wish to conduct trials with Agrisilica®, our team welcomes your enquiry.
We welcome your further interest in Agrisilica®
Please get in touch by email or phone Agripower on +61 2 9251 8884
