Calcium and magnesium silicate in the production of Mombasa grass

Abstract

Silicon has been used in several ways to improve plant growth and development; however, there are few experimental results, especially for tropical grasses. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of applying calcium and magnesium silicate on the growth, structure, and herbage mass of Mombasa grass. A completely randomized design was used in a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement with 4 replications and 2 duplicates for replications. The experimental treatments corresponded to two doses of silicon (1,000 and 2,000 kg/ha) and control (0 kg/ha) over 3 growth cycles. The variables evaluated were plant height, number of tillers, specific leaf area, herbage mass, leaf mass, stem mass, the mass of dead material, and root mass. The application of silicate was not able to modify the variables studied. Considering the soil studied, the application of silicate is not recommended to increase the productivity of Mombasa grass, but similar longer-term studies are needed on soils with low Ca and Mg levels.