Silicon Field Trials

Project Funder: Agripower
Project Partners: Agripower, University of Western Sydney
Project Duration: 2022-24
Project Location: TAIC, Tallimba

Background

A common occurrence in cropping is for plants to suffer from abiotic stress. This is when there is a disturbance to the plant water status which could be caused by drought, extreme heat, frost or salinity. If a plant is suffering from abiotic stress, it is potentially more prone to attack from biotic stresses such as pests and disease.

Research has shown that increased levels of silicon in plant tissue could help to maintain a high plant water status when suffering from abiotic stress such as drought (Gong & Chen, 2012). It is believed that silicon will aid in reducing plant leaf transpiration which would be beneficial during drought conditions.

Agrisilica® is a fertiliser produced by Agripower that has a high level of plant available silicon. It can be applied as both a granule and in liquid form at any time during the growing season. Recent research conducted by Western Sydney University has shown benefits to using Agrisilica®, however Agripower would like to further test these benefits by conducting field trials across the wheat growing regions of NSW. FarmLink have started working with Agripower and two field trials have been established in 2022. This work will be ongoing across multiple seasons.