Research Updates from Virginia Tech continued
Evaluating Effects of Silicon on Summer Stress Resistance in Creeping Bentgrass
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By Xunzhong Zhang, Ph.D., Mike Goatley, Ph.D., Isabel Brown, and Kelly Kosiarski School of Plant and Environmental Sciences Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 1
PHOTO 1. The turf quality as affected by Si treatment in creeping bentgrass under drought and heat stress conditions at the end of the trial (June 9, 2021) PHOTO 2. The root growth and viability as affected by Si treatment in creeping bentgrass under drought and heat stress condition at the end of the trial (June 9, 2021)
S
ilicon (Si) is naturally absorbed by plants from soil as monosilicic acid, Si(OH)4. Although Si is not considered to be an essential macronutrient, the content of Si in some plants can be in the range of certain macronutrients. These Si deposits are commonly found where their presence acts as a surface-area defense system (on leaf and stem hairs, and on the outer epidermal walls) which benefits plant tolerance to drought. Silicon is also considered as a biostimulant, influencing plant physiological fitness under abiotic stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate potassium silicate (provided by Harrell’s LLC, Lakeland, FL) on physiological fitness and quality of creeping bentgrass under heat and drought stress conditions.
32 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL January/February 2022 www.vaturf.org
