Silicophytoliths from soybean plants in different growth stages of the Argentine Pampas

BENVENUTO, M. L.; OSTERRIETH, M.

REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE BOTâNICA

Springer

Año: 2016 vol. 39 p. 337 - 347

0100-8404

For decades, silicophytolith and silicon (Si)studies have been conducted on plant families which producehigh amounts of this compound, such as horsetails,grasses, sedges, and palms. However, in recent years,studies on low silicophytolith-producing families becamerelevant because of the important role this compound playsin their growth. In cultivated soils from South America,research on silicophytolith production in crops and on theavailability of silicon sinks is scarce. The present study isthe first report of silicophytolith production in soybeanplants, using staining and calcination techniques. The silicophytolithmorphologies found in leaves were tabularlobate, hair bases, long and short hairs, stomatal complexes,cylindrical sulcate tracheid, elongate with fusiformedges, articulated, and orbicular cells with thickened edgessilicified; in stems, branches, pods, and flowers, the silicophytolithswere orbicular and cylindrical sulcate tracheid.Throughout their growth, these soybean cropsproduced 1.04, 25.12, and 40.08 kg ha-1 of silicophytolithsin vegetative (S12), reproductive (S61), and maturitystages (S89), respectively. These results will contribute tothe knowledge of the amount of silica/silicophytolithsinvolved in the process of Si-recycling through cultivatedvegetation in fields from humid plains in medium latitude.