Can we use silicon to manage abiotic and biotic stress in turfgrass?
Can we use silicon to manage abiotic and biotic stress in turfgrass?
2 ‑ 2.45pm
While not considered an essential plant nutrient, increasingly we recognise that silicon plays a key role in many aspects of plant life. In nature, silicon (Si) usually exists as silica (SiO2) or binds with metals to form silicates. Over 50% of the earth’s crust and soil mass is SiO2 , but surprisingly, even soils having a high content of quartz sand (e.g. sand based greens, fairways, tees and pitches) are often low in plant‑available Si.
This seminar will examine our current knowledge of the role of silicon in plants and in modifying turfgrass responses to disease and to abiotic stresses such as drought and high salinity. It will examine studies on warm and cool season turfgrasses, to identify the main impacts and discuss how turf managers can use silicon formulations as part of their turf management programme.
Learning Outcomes:
- How silicon affects turfgrass growth and physiology
- How silicon can increase turf tolerance to fungal disease, nematode attack and abiotic stress
Presented by: Richard Salvage, Managing Director and Dr Colin Fleming, Chief Scientific Officer, Maxstim Ltd
