TY - JOUR
T1 - Biogenic amorphous silica as main driver for plant available water in soils
AU - Schaller, Jörg
AU - Cramer, Andreas
AU - Carminati, Andrea
AU - Zarebanadkouki, Mohsen
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, The Author(s).
PY - 2020/12/1
Y1 - 2020/12/1
N2 - More frequent and longer drought periods are predicted threatening agricultural yield. The capacity of soils to hold water is a highly important factor controlling drought stress intensity for plants. Biogenic amorphous silica (bASi) pools in soils are in the range of 0–6% and are suggested to help plants to resist drought. In agricultural soils, bASi pools declined to values of ~1% or lower) due to yearly crop harvest, decreasing water holding capacity of the soils. Here, we assessed the contribution of bASi to water holding capacity (WHC) of soil. Consequently, ASi was mixed at different rates (0, 1, 5 or 15%) with different soils. Afterwards, the retention curve of the soils was determined via Hyprop method. Here we show that bASi increases the soil water holding capacity substantially, by forming silica gels with a water content at saturation higher than 700%. An increase of bASi by 1% or 5% (weight) increased the water content at any water potential and plant available water increased by up to > 40% or > 60%, respectively. Our results suggest that soil management should be modified to increase bASi content, enhancing available water in soils and potentially decreasing drought stress for plants in terrestrial ecosystems.
AB - More frequent and longer drought periods are predicted threatening agricultural yield. The capacity of soils to hold water is a highly important factor controlling drought stress intensity for plants. Biogenic amorphous silica (bASi) pools in soils are in the range of 0–6% and are suggested to help plants to resist drought. In agricultural soils, bASi pools declined to values of ~1% or lower) due to yearly crop harvest, decreasing water holding capacity of the soils. Here, we assessed the contribution of bASi to water holding capacity (WHC) of soil. Consequently, ASi was mixed at different rates (0, 1, 5 or 15%) with different soils. Afterwards, the retention curve of the soils was determined via Hyprop method. Here we show that bASi increases the soil water holding capacity substantially, by forming silica gels with a water content at saturation higher than 700%. An increase of bASi by 1% or 5% (weight) increased the water content at any water potential and plant available water increased by up to > 40% or > 60%, respectively. Our results suggest that soil management should be modified to increase bASi content, enhancing available water in soils and potentially decreasing drought stress for plants in terrestrial ecosystems.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85079337192&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-020-59437-x
DO - 10.1038/s41598-020-59437-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 32051537
AN - SCOPUS:85079337192
VL - 10
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 2424
ER -