Influence of Foliar Silicic Acid Application on Soybean (Glycine max L.) Varieties Grown across Two Distinct Rainfall Years

Abstract

The foliar nutrition of silicic acid is considered to be a novel approach in enhancing the performance of many crops worldwide. The present study aimed to assess if the foliar application of silicon (Si) could influence the performance of soybean varieties with distinct crop duration, MAUS-2 (long duration) and KBS-23 (short duration). Field experiments were conducted in two consecutive years (2016 and 2017) of varied rainfall with foliar application of silicic acid @ 2 and 4 mL L^-1 for three and two sprays each. The results showed significant enhancement in the yield, seed quality (protein and oil content), and uptake of nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, and Si) by various parts viz., seed, husk, and haulm of both varieties with foliar nutrition of silicic acid. However, the short duration variety, KBS-23, responded well under low rainfall conditions (2016) with two sprays of foliar silicic acid @ 4 mL L^-1 and MAUS-2 variety in the second season under higher rainfall (2017) with three sprays of foliar silicic acid @ 2 mL L^-1, along with the recommended dose of fertilizer. This research revealed that the effectiveness of foliar silicic acid nutrition differs with the duration of the varieties, number of sprays given, and water availability in the soil during the cropping period.

Keywords: foliar application; nutrient uptake; quality; silicon; yield.

Figure 1

(a–f) Effect of foliar application of silicic acid on seed, haulm, and husk yield and Si uptake by short (KBS-23) and long duration (MAUS-2) soybean varieties in two distinct rainfall years. Means within a graph followed by the same capital and small letters are not significantly different at 5% level of significance for yield and uptake, respectively.

Figure 2

Relationship between Si uptake and oil yield of short (KBS-23) and long duration (MAUS-2) soybean varieties (pooled data of two years). (** The relationship is statistically significant at 0.01 level of significance).

Figure 3

Relationship between Si uptake and protein yield of short (KBS-23) and long duration (MAUS-2) soybean varieties (pooled data of two years). (** The relationship is statistically significant at 0.01 level of significance).