Silica fertilization improved wheat performance and increased phosphorus concentrations during drought at the field scale

Schaller, Jörg; Scherwietes, Eric; Gerber, L.; Vaidya, Shrijana; Kaczorek, Danuta; Pausch, Johanna; Barkusky, Dietmar; Sommer, Michael; Hoffmann, Mathias

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-00464-7

Cited by 22 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…The research field of virtual soils is rapidly developing because of the need for improved climate‐adaption of agricultural crops or the crop yield enhancement through soil additives (e.g., Schaller et al., 2021). Soil–crop modeling could benefit from a coupling of a root architectural model with a soil model that allows for feedback loops between root growth, soil structure, soil water content, and nutrient concentration.…”

Section: Hillslope and Catchment Scale Soil Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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3–4D soil model as challenge for future soil research: Quantitative soil modeling based on the solid phase

Gerke

Vogel

Weber

et al. 2022

J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci.

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A 3-4D soil model represents a logical step forward from one-dimensional soil columns (1D), two-dimensional soil maps (2D), and three-dimensional soil volumes (3D) toward dynamic soil models (4D), with time as the fourth dimension. The challenge is to develop modeling tools that account for the states of soil properties, including the spatial structure of solids and pores, as well as their dynamics, including soil mass and solute transfers in landscapes. Our envisioned 3-4D soil model approach aims at improving the capability to predict fundamental soil functions (e.g., plant growth, storage, matter fluxes) that provide ecosystem services in the socioeconomic context.This study provides a structured overview on current soil models, challenges, open questions, and urgent research needs for developing a 3-4D soil model. A 3-4D soil model should provide an inventory of spatially distributed and temporally variable soil properties. As basis for this, we propose a mass balance model for the solid phase, which needs to be supplemented by a model describing its structure. This should eventually provide adequate 3D parameter sets for the numerical modeling of soil functions (e.g., flow and transport). The target resolution is decameters in the horizontal plane and centimeters to decimeters in the vertical direction to represent characteristic soil properties and soil horizons. The actual state of soils and their properties can be estimated from spatial data that represent the soil forming factors, with the use of machine learning tools. Improved modeling of the dynamics of soil bulk density, biological processes, and the pore structure are required to relate the solid mass balance to matter fluxes.A 3-4D soil model can be built from several types of modeling approaches. We distinguish between (1) process models that simulate mass balances, fluxes and soil structure dynamics, (2) statistical pedometric models using machine learning and geostatistics to estimate the soil inventory within landscapes, and (3) pedotransfer functions to link observable attributes to specific model parameters required to simulate soil functions including water and matter fluxes. This should provide the prerequisites to predict the spatial distribution of soil functions and their changes in response to external forcing. This endeavor can draw upon many already established models and techniques, yet combining them into a newly created 3-4D soil model is a truly an ambitious, but promisingThis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Section: Hillslope and Catchment Scale Soil Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The research field of virtual soils is rapidly developing because of the need for improved climate-adaption of agricultural crops or the crop yield enhancement through soil additives (e.g., Schaller et al, 2021).…”

Section: Application To Virtual Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

3–4D soil model as challenge for future soil research: Quantitative soil modeling based on the solid phase

Gerke

Vogel

Weber

et al. 2022

J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci.

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“…Besides direct effects of tissue Si on plant physiology, elevated soil Si might modulate soil processes, potentially explaining the positive growth responses of Si-fertilized plants under drought [19]. Experiments have shown that increasing biogenic amorphous Si in soils improves its water holding capacity [20], increasing water availability to plants [21]. Thus, to fully appreciate the role of elevated leaf Si as a drought-resistance mechanism it needs to be evaluated in isolation from potential soil Si effects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of leaf silicon on drought performance of tropical tree seedlings

Klotz,

Schaller,

Knauft

et al. 2024

Biol. Lett.

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Elevated leaf silicon (Si) concentrations improve drought resistance in cultivated plants, suggesting Si might also improve drought performance of wild species. Tropical tree species, for instance, take up substantial amounts of Si, and leaf Si varies markedly at local and regional scales, suggesting consequences for seedling drought resistance. Yet, whether elevated leaf Si improves seedling drought performance in tropical forests is unknown. To manipulate leaf Si concentrations, seedlings of seven tropical tree species were grown in Si-rich and -poor soil, before exposing them to drought in the forest understorey. Survival, growth and wilting were monitored. Elevated leaf Si did not improve drought survival and growth in any of the species. In one species, drought survival was reduced in seedlings previously grown in Si-rich soil, contrary to our expectation. Our results suggest that elevated leaf Si does not improve drought resistance of wild tropical tree species. Elevated leaf Si may even reduce drought performance, suggesting differences in soil conditions influencing leaf Si may contribute to soil-related variation of tropical seedling performance. Furthermore, our results are at odds with most studies on cultivated species and show that alleviative effects of Si in crops cannot be generalized to wild plants in natural systems.

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“…Investigations of whether Si supplementation alleviates drought stress under field conditions is surprisingly rare. In wheat ( T. aestivum ), for example, there are only two studies to our knowledge ( Maghsoudi et al., 2016 ; Schaller et al., 2021 ). These studies showed that Si supplementation generally had beneficial effects on wheat growing under drought conditions, including increased water use efficiency ( Maghsoudi et al., 2016 ) and photosynthetic activity ( Schaller et al., 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In wheat ( T. aestivum ), for example, there are only two studies to our knowledge ( Maghsoudi et al., 2016 ; Schaller et al., 2021 ). These studies showed that Si supplementation generally had beneficial effects on wheat growing under drought conditions, including increased water use efficiency ( Maghsoudi et al., 2016 ) and photosynthetic activity ( Schaller et al., 2021 ). Both field studies supplemented naturally dry field sites with irrigation but did not manipulate exposure to rainfall.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field application of silicon alleviates drought stress and improves water use efficiency in wheat

et al. 2022

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Detrimental impacts of drought on crop yield have tripled in the last 50 years with climate models predicting that the frequency of such droughts will intensify in the future. Silicon (Si) accumulation, especially in Poaceae crops such as wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), may alleviate the adverse impacts of drought. We have very limited information, however, about whether Si supplementation could alleviate the impacts of drought under field conditions and no studies have specifically manipulated rainfall. Using field–based rain exclusion shelters, we determined whether Si supplementation (equivalent to 39, 78 and 117 kg ha-1) affected T. aestivum growth, elemental chemistry [Si, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N)], physiology (rates of photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency) and yield (grain production) under ambient and drought (50% of ambient) rainfall scenarios. Averaged across Si treatments, drought reduced shoot mass by 21% and grain production by 18%. Si supplementation increased shoot mass by up to 43% and 73% in ambient and drought water treatments, respectively, and restored grain production in droughted plants to levels comparable with plants supplied with ambient rainfall. Si supplementation increased leaf-level water use efficiency by 32–74%, depending on Si supplementation rates. Water supply and Si supplementation did not alter concentrations of C and N, but Si supplementation increased shoot C content by 39% and 83% under ambient and drought conditions, respectively. This equates to an increase from 6.4 to 8.9 tonnes C ha-1 and from 4.03 to 7.35 tonnes C ha-1 under ambient and drought conditions, respectively. We conclude that Si supplementation ameliorated the negative impacts of drought on T. aestivum growth and grain yield, potentially through its beneficial impacts on water use efficiency. Moreover, the beneficial impacts of Si on plant growth and C storage may render Si supplementation a useful tool for both drought mitigation and C sequestration.

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Silica fertilization improved wheat performance and increased phosphorus concentrations during drought at the field scale

Cited by 22 publications

References 54 publications

3–4D soil model as challenge for future soil research: Quantitative soil modeling based on the solid phase

3–4D soil model as challenge for future soil research: Quantitative soil modeling based on the solid phase

Effects of leaf silicon on drought performance of tropical tree seedlings

Field application of silicon alleviates drought stress and improves water use efficiency in wheat

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