Effects of Silicon Alone and Combined with Organic Matter and Trichoderma harzianum on Sorghum Yield, Ions Accumulation and Soil Properties under Saline Irrigation

Abstract

The action of silicon as a salt stress mitigator has been investigated in isolation, and its combined efficacy with other salt stress mitigators needs to be addressed. This work verified whether silicon, in combination with organic matter and Trichoderma harzianum, enhances the production of forage sorghum under saline irrigation and its effects on soil properties. The field experiment was conducted in Parnamirim (PE), a semiarid region of Brazil. Forage sorghum (Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf) was irrigated with saline water (3.12 dS m−1) and subjected to the application of non-silicon, silicon alone, and silicon combined with Trichoderma and organic matter over three consecutive cuts (every three months after germination). Silicon applied in combination significantly increased the content of nutrient ions K+, P, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in sorghum leaves, stems, and panicles and increased P content in the soil by 170, 288, and 92% for the first, second, and third cuts, respectively. When silicon was applied in combination, sorghum’s dry and fresh matter (total yield for the three cuts) increased to 62.53 and 182.43 t ha−1, respectively. In summary, applying silicon (Si) combined with Trichoderma and organic matter promotes higher nutrient ion contents in soil and sorghum plants and a higher forage sorghum yield.

Silicon Combined with Trichoderma harzianum and Organic Matter as an Environmental Friendly Strategy for Mitigating Salt Stress in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

“…In addition, even with a higher soil salt concentration, the salinity attenuators effectively controlled the salt effect stress, decreasing the plants absorption of Na + and Cl − . In other research, Silva et al [35], by testing the same attenuators and combinations as this study in sorghum (Si + OM, Si + T, and Si + OM + T), showed that the Si combinations reduced toxic ion absorption (Na + and Cl − ) and favored nutrient ion absorption (K + ), resulting in significant gains in biomass.…”