Silicon and Boron Nutrition of Rice in Wet Land Soils

Rice is a high silicon accumulating plant. Silicon is a beneficial element for plant growth and is agronomically essential for improving and sustaining rice productivity. Besides rice yield increase, silicon has many fold advantages of increasing nutrient availability (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S and Zn), decreasing nutrient toxicity (Fe, Mn and Al) and minimizing biotic and abiotic stress in plants. Silicon is not much mobile in plants, therefore a continued supply is required for long term sustainable rice production. Hence the application of Si to soil or plant is practically useful in laterite derived paddy soils, not only to increase yield but also to alleviate the iron toxicity problems.