U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Application Technology Research: Wooster, OH
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                                    Software
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    Departments
                        Agricultural Engineering
                                    Entomology
                                    Horticulture
                                    Plant Pathology
                                    IR-4 programSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Midwest Area Wooster, Ohio Application Technology Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Frantz, Jonathanitem
                                            DHARMALINGAM, D - UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDOitem
                                            Locke, Jamesitem
                                            Horst, Leonaitem
                                            Krause, Charles
  Submitted to: Plant Health Progress
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 12/18/2004
                                    Publication  Date: 2/15/2005
                                    Citation: Frantz, J., Dharmalingam, D.S., Locke, J.C., Horst, L., Krause, C.R. 2005. Silicon is deposited in leaves of New Guinea Impatiens. Plant Health Progress. Available: http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/php.Interpretive Summary: Silica (Si) is not considered to be an essential plant nutrient because most plants can be grown from seed to seed without its presence, but many investigations have shown a positive growth effect if Si is present, including increased dry mass and yield, enhanced pollination, alleviation of micronutrient toxicity, and most commonly, increased disease resistance.  In modern plant culture, these plants are no longer exposed to Si from mineral soil, so if there are benefits of Si uptake and root exposure, Si must be added to the fertilizer solutions or mineral soil should be incorporated into the media mix.  The initial step in determining potential benefits of Si requires the documentation of Si uptake and localization within the plant.  We grew New Guinea Impatiens for four weeks and exposed them to low doses of Si.  Using scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis, we detected Si deposits on the leaf margins in unique Si-filled cells.  We did not detect Si in the stem.  This report is the first documentation of Si uptake or accumulation in any ornamental dicot species.  Further research needs to determine if the observed uptake has an effect on growth, alleviating micronutrient toxicities, or enhanced fungal pathogen resistance, but the work is significant because since Si is taken up in the plant and can therefore potentially stimulate disease resistance and alleviate micronutrient toxicity.
                                Technical Abstract: Silica (Si) is not considered to be an essential plant nutrient because most plants can be grown from seed to seed without its presence, but many investigations have shown a positive growth effect if Si is present, including increased dry mass and yield, enhanced pollination, alleviation of micronutrient toxicity, and most commonly, increased disease resistance.  The effect of Si on many ornamental and greenhouse crop species has not been extensively studied. In modern plant culture, these plants are no longer exposed to Si from mineral soil, so if there are benefits of Si uptake and root exposure, Si must be added to the fertilizer solutions or mineral soil should be incorporated into the media mix.  The initial step in determining potential benefits of Si requires the documentation of Si uptake and localization within the plant.  We grew New Guinea Impatiens for four weeks and exposed them to 2.0 mM Si in the form of K2SiO4.  Using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, we detected Si deposits on the leaf margins in unique Si-filled cells, primarily near hydathodes.  We did not detect Si in the xylem.  This report is the first documentation of Si uptake or accumulation in any ornamental dicot species.  Further research needs to determine if the observed uptake has an effect on growth, alleviating micronutrient toxicities, or enhanced fungal pathogen resistan.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov