Background C:N:P homeostasis in plants guarantees optimal levels of these nutrients in plant metabolism. H However, one of the causes to the effects of deficit irrigation is the loss of C:N:P homeostasis in leaves and stems that causes reduction in the growth of sugarcane. Being able to measure the impact of water deficit on C:N:P homeostasis in plants from the stoichiometric ratios of the concentrations of these nutrients in leaves and stems. This loss causes a decrease in nutritional efficiency, but can be mitigated with the use of silicon. Silicon favors the homeostasis of these nutrients and crop productivity. The magnitude of this benefit depends on the absorption of Si by the plant and Si availability in the soil, which varies with the type of soil used. Thus, this study aims to evaluate whether the application of Si via fertigation is efficient in increasing the absorption of Si and whether it is capable of modifying the homeostatic balance of C:N:P of the plant, causing an increase in nutritional efficiency and consequently in the production of biomass in leaves and stems of sugarcane ratoon cultivated with deficient and adequate irrigations in different tropical soils. Results Water deficit caused biological losses in concentrations and accumulation of C, N, and P, and reduced the nutrient use efficiency and biomass production of sugarcane plants cultivated in three tropical soils due to disturbances in the stoichiometric homeostasis of C:N:P. The application of Si increased the concentration and accumulation of Si, C, N, and P and their use efficiency and reduced the biological damage caused by water deficit due to the modification of homeostatic balance of C:N:P by ensuring sustainability of the production of sugarcane biomass in tropical soils. However, the intensity of attenuation of such deleterious effects stood out in plants cultivated in Eutrophic Red Oxisols. Si contributed biologically by improving the performance of sugarcane ratoon with an adequate irrigation due to the optimization of stoichiometric ratios of C:N:P; increased the accumulation and the use efficiency of C, N, and P, and promoted production gains in biomass of sugarcane in three tropical soils. Conclusion Our study shows that fertigation with Si can mitigate the deleterious effects of deficient irrigation or potentiate the beneficial effects using an adequate irrigation system due to the induction of a new stoichiometric homeostasis of C:N:P, which in turn improves the nutritional efficiency of sugarcane cultivated in tropical soils.
Background In many regions of the world, K is being depleted from soils due to agricultural intensification a lack of accessibility, and the high cost of K. Thus, there is an urgent need for a sustainable strategy for crops in this environment. Si is an option for mitigating stress due to nutritional deficiency. However, the underlying effects of Si in mitigating K deficiency C:N:P homeostasis still remains unknown for bean plants. This is a species of great worldwide importance. Thus, this study aims to evaluate whether i) K deficiency modifies the homeostatic balance of C, N and P, and, if so, ii) Si supply can reduce damage caused to nutritional stoichiometry, nutrient use efficiency, and production of dry mass in bean plants. Results K deficiency caused a reduction in the stoichiometric ratios C:N, C:P, and P:Si in shoots and C:N, C:P, C:Si, N:Si, and P:Si in roots, resulting in a decrease in K content and use efficiency and reducing biomass production. The application of Si in K-deficient plants modified the ratios C:N, C:Si, N:P, N:Si, and P:Si in shoots and C:N, C:P, C:Si, N:Si, N:P, and P:Si in roots, increasing the K content and efficiency, reducing the loss of biomass. In bean plants with K sufficiency, Si also changed the stoichiometric ratios C:N, C:P, C:Si, N:P, N:Si, and P:Si in shoots and C:N, C:Si, N:Si, and P:Si in roots, increasing K content only in roots and the use efficiency of C and P in shoots and C, N, and P in roots, increasing the biomass production only in roots. Conclusion K deficiency causes damage to the C:N:P homeostatic balance, reducing the efficiency of nutrient use and biomass production. However, Si is a viable alternative to attenuate these nutritional damages, favoring bean growth. The future perspective is that the use of Si in agriculture in underdeveloped economies with restrictions on the use of K will constitute a sustainable strategy to increase food security.
The importance of silicon (Si) in sugarcane is well known, but its effects on changing C:N:P stoichiometry enough to increase pre-sprouted seedling (PSS) and sugarcane development in the field remains unknown. To that end, the present study aimed to assess whether Si fertigation favors its absorption enough to change elemental stoichiometry (C:N:P), physiological attributes and PSS growth, as well as the growth, stem yield and juice quality of sugarcane. Two field experiments were conducted in the PSS formation stage and another in the sugarcane plant development phase. Experiment 1 was carried out in a greenhouse with PSSs under two treatments: in the absence and presence of Si (2 mmol L−1) fertigation. Experiment 2 was performed in the field in red-yellow argisol with the sugarcane plant undergoing the following treatments: absence of Si (No Si); Si supplied by fertigation during the PSS formation and sugarcane plant development phases (Si–C); and Si supplied during the PSS formation and sugarcane plant development phases (Si–M+C). The following were assessed in experiment I: growth, leaf green color index (GCI), chlorophyll fluorescence, C, N, P, and Si content, and C:Si, C:N and C:P stoichiometric ratios. In experiment II, the same stoichiometric ratios were assessed, as well as sugarcane growth, stem yield and juice quality. Si reduced the C:Si, C:N and C:P stoichiometric ratios in PSS. The C:Si ratio in the leaves and stems declined with the supply of Si, while the C:N and C:P ratio in the leaves and stem was higher in plants that received Si in the Si-M+C treatment. Applying Si fertigation in PSS formation to promote changes in C:N:P stoichiometry favored photosynthetic efficiency and growth. The Si–M+C treatment stood out, since it also caused enough C:N:P stoichiometric changes to increase sugarcane growth, yield and juice quality.
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