Silicon as a Plant Nutrient

By James Hoorman, Hoorman Soil Health

January is when the coldest weather generally occurs in winter.  For agriculture, cold temperatures can be beneficial.  Many insect and disease organisms are reduced due to the freezing and thawing.  Slug and vole (field mice) populations often decline, especially if the snow is not too deep to insulate them from the cold.  Another benefit occurs when microbes freeze, they split open and spill nutrients into the soil.  The plant green up in the spring is a natural benefit as long as these enriched nutrients do not leach away. 

The two ways plants survive cold temperatures are by elevating certain nutrients in their cells like potassium (K) and silicon.  These two nutrients allow plants to continue to grow longer in the fall, lowering the temperature at which they freeze.  While K is a known essential element, very little is known about silicon until recently and its effect on plant growth. … Continue reading