Biomass production and silicon content in forages under different sources of silicate

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sources of silicon on the agronomic traits and on Si content on B. decumbens cv. Brasilisk and P. maximum, cv. Mombaça cultivated in a B horizon soil collected from a Latosol at the "Zona da Mata Mineira", Brazil. The experimental design was a completely randomized block in a 4 x 2 factorial, with four replications. Treatments consisted of three sources of silicon (sodium silicate, rocksil and potassium silicate, with doses of 40 g L^-1 of Si) and a control, all combined with two forage grass species (B. decumbens cv, Basilisk and P. maximum cv. Mombaça). Results showed that Si sprayed on leaves promoted increase in dry biomass content in the second and third harvests of P. maximum. Foliar fertilization with Si also increased silicon absorption in both species, especially in the second and third harvests. The there silicon sources did not differ among them, as a source of silicon applied on leaves.