Origin of silica in rice plants and contribution of diatom Earth fertilization: insights from isotopic Si mass balance in a paddy field

This study (M-TROPICS/BVET) identified and quantified the Si sources to rice plants using a solute mass balance at soil-plant scale and the silicon isotopic signatures of the various Si pools. It reveals that the main Si sources are soil amorphous silica, irrigation water and to a lesser extent Si fertilizer when it was applied. In Si-fertilized plots, biomass production and silicon uptake are larger than in control plots, indicating a possible priming effect of the Si fertilizer.

The paper was published in February 2018 in Plant and Soil, it is available here.