Effects of soluble sources of silicon applied in soybean plants under water stress

• Grant number: 23/07908-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Renan Caldas Umburanas
• Grantee: Felipe Sousa Franco
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The effects of climate change are already a reality in the agricultural sector, concerning the increase of frequency dry spells due to thermal and water instability. The objective of this study is to evaluate agronomic performance and stress attributes in soybean plants in response to the application of soluble sources of silicon through soil with foliar supplementation, with and without water restriction. The experiment will be conducted in a greenhouse using a 3x2 factorial design with 8 repetitions. The first factor for foliar application will be: control (without Si application), potassium silicate (SiK-128 g L{¹ Si; 126.5 g L{¹ K2O, and pH 12.0), and sorbitol-stabilized potassium silicate (SiKe - SiAl-107 g L{¹ Si; 28.4 g L{¹ K2O; 100 mL L{¹ sorbitol; and pH 11.8). The second factor will be: 30% and 80% of field capacity to set up cultivation with and without water restriction, respectively. The water variation in the pots will simulate dry spells that occur in tropical regions. Potassium (K) will be balanced among the treatments with KCl application. Silicon (Si) will be supplied through the soil with irrigation water at a concentration of 2.8 mmol L{¹ and pH 7.0. Three complementary foliar applications will be carried out, totaling 4.1 mmol L{¹ of Si with 150L ha{¹, during the V5, V8 e R3 growth stages. Biometric attributes, productivity, and non-enzymatic antioxidant leaf components will be evaluated. The hypothesis is that the application of soluble silicon source will mitigate the impacts of water restriction, and these effects may be enhanced by the use of stabilizers such as sorbitol.