Foliar fertilization with potassium silicate enhances water productivity and drought resilience in sugar beet

IF 5.6 1区农林科学 Q1 AGRONOMY

Field Crops Research Pub Date : 2025-03-14 DOI:10.1016/j.fcr.2025.109840

Ahmed Shaaban , Nasr M. Abdou , Taia A. Abd El‑Mageed , Wael M. Semida , Ahmed R. Abd El Tawwab , Gamal F. Mohamed , Mohamed S. Mohamed , Mohamed T. El‑Saadony , Khaled A. El-Tarabily , Synan F. AbuQamar , Khaulood A. Hemida

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Context

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is an essential industrial crop valued for its sugar production, especially in regions with limited water resources. Due to its lower water demands, sugar beet is favored over sugarcane in Egypt. We hypothesized that foliar application of potassium silicate (K₂SiO₃) would enhance sugar beet's physiological responses, yield, and water productivity under drought and saline conditions, offering an eco-friendly solution to optimize crop performance in semi-arid regions.

Objectives

This study aimed to (i) investigate the impact of foliar-applied K₂SiO₃ on the physiological, biochemical, and anatomical traits of sugar beet under drought stress in saline soils, (ii) evaluate the effects of K₂SiO₃ on agronomic traits, root and sugar yields, and water productivity under different irrigation regimes, and (iii) assess K₂SiO₃ to mitigate the adverse effects of drought and salinity, enhancing sugar beet resilience and productivity.

Methods

Field experiments were conducted over two winter seasons at Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt, to assess the impact of three irrigation regimes (DIR_0%, DIR_25%, DIR_50%) and three foliar K₂SiO₃ concentrations (0, 10, 20 mmol L⁻¹) on sugar beet (cv. Baraca) in a split-plot arrangement based on a randomized complete block design (in triplicates). Physiological parameters, such as leaf water content, membrane stability, chlorophyll fluorescence, osmolyte accumulation, and antioxidant enzyme activities, were measured. Agronomic traits, including root yield, white sugar yield, and crop water productivity (WPc), were also evaluated.

Results

In general, drought stress negatively impacted physio-biochemical and anatomical traits, nutrient uptake, growth, sugar yield, and quality of sugar beet. This was evidenced by the significantly (P<0.05) increased levels of osmolytes and antioxidants (enzymatic and non-enzymatic), which indicated the plant’s defensive/adaptive responses to drought stress. However, K₂SiO₃ effectively alleviated the adverse effects of deficit irrigation. Notably, the interaction of DIR_0% × KSi-20 resulted in the highest root yield (88.97 t ha⁻¹) and sugar yield (14.43 t ha⁻¹), while the highest WPc (24.48 kg m⁻³) was achieved in the DIR_50% × KSi-20 treatment.

Conclusions

Foliar application of K₂SiO₃ effectively alleviates drought and salinity stress in sugar beet by improving physiological and biochemical traits. The treatment enhances photosynthetic efficiency, osmolyte accumulation, antioxidant activity, and nutrient uptake, leading to improved crop yield and quality.

Implications

This study highlights K₂SiO₃ as a cost-effective, eco-friendly strategy to enhance sugar beet resilience in arid and saline environments. Integrating K₂SiO₃ into crop management practices could contribute to sustainable sugar production, particularly in regions facing water scarcity and soil salinity challenges.

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叶面施用硅酸钾可提高甜菜水分生产力和抗旱性

甜菜（Beta vulgaris L.）是一种重要的经济作物，特别是在水资源有限的地区。由于需水量较低，在埃及，甜菜比甘蔗更受青睐。我们假设叶面施用硅酸钾（K₂SiO₃）可以提高甜菜在干旱和盐碱化条件下的生理反应、产量和水分生产力，为优化半干旱地区的作物性能提供了一种生态友好的解决方案。本研究旨在(i)研究干旱胁迫下盐碱地叶面施用K2SiO3对甜菜生理、生化和解剖性状的影响，（ii）评估不同灌溉制度下K2SiO3对农艺性状、根系和糖产量以及水分生产力的影响，以及（iii）评估K2SiO3减轻干旱和盐的不利影响，提高甜菜的恢复力和生产力。方法在埃及法尤姆大学进行了两个冬季的田间试验，评估了三种灌溉制度（DIR0%、DIR25%、DIR50%）和三种叶面K₂SiO₃浓度（0,10,20 mmol L−1）对甜菜(cv。Baraca)在基于随机完全块设计（一式三份）的分块排列中。测定了叶片含水量、膜稳定性、叶绿素荧光、渗透物积累和抗氧化酶活性等生理参数。农艺性状，包括根产量、白糖产量和作物水分生产力（WPc）也进行了评价。结果干旱胁迫对甜菜生理生化解剖性状、养分吸收、生长发育、产量和品质均有不利影响。渗透酶和抗氧化剂（酶促和非酶促）水平显著（P<0.05）升高，表明植物对干旱胁迫的防御/适应反应。而K2SiO3能有效缓解亏缺灌溉的不利影响。值得注意的是，DIR0% × KSi-20的互作导致了最高的根产量（88.97 t ha−1）和糖产量（14.43 t ha−1），而DIR50% × KSi-20处理的WPc最高（24.48 kg m−3）。结论叶面施用K₂SiO₃可通过改善甜菜生理生化性状，有效缓解甜菜干旱、盐胁迫。该处理提高了光合效率、渗透物积累、抗氧化活性和养分吸收，从而提高了作物产量和品质。这项研究强调了K₂SiO₃是一种经济、环保的策略，可以增强甜菜在干旱和盐碱化环境中的恢复能力。将K₂SiO₃纳入作物管理实践可能有助于可持续的糖生产，特别是在面临缺水和土壤盐碱化挑战的地区。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Field Crops Research 农林科学-农艺学

CiteScore

9.60

自引率

12.10%

发文量

307

审稿时长

46 days

期刊介绍： Field Crops Research is an international journal publishing scientific articles on: √ experimental and modelling research at field, farm and landscape levels on temperate and tropical crops and cropping systems, with a focus on crop ecology and physiology, agronomy, and plant genetics and breeding.