Silicon Application Increases Biomass Yield in Sunflower by Improving the Photosynthesizing Leaf Area
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Silicon Application Increases Biomass Yield in Sunflower by Improving the Photosynthesizing Leaf Area Murilo de Melo Peixoto 1 & Rilner Alves Flores 2 & Charlismilã Amorim do Couto 2 & Haryel Domingos N. Pacheco 2 & Renato de Mello Prado 3 & Jonas Pereira Souza-Junior 3 José Arnaldo Castro-Netto 2 & Dalva Graciano-Ribeiro 1
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Received: 30 September 2020 / Accepted: 29 October 2020 # Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract Sunflower is an oilseed plant important for food and biodiesel production. One cheap way to increase sunflower production is by the application of silicon (Si), which has shown to be beneficial in plants under a series of stresses. We analyzed if the application of Si in sunflower affected the CO2 assimilation, N uptake, leaf quantity and quality, and total biomass yield. No difference was observed in the gas exchange measurements or in leaf N concentration. The total leaf area increased in plants applied with even the lowest dose of Si, with no loss to the net CO2 assimilation rate or leaf N concentration. The higher total leaf area of the plants treated with Si resulted in an increase of the total CO2 assimilation by the plant. Plants treated with any dose of Si had an increase of 24–39% in biomass yield. Statistically, the increase in biomass was explained by the total CO2 assimilation in the plant. If the increment in biomass yield is proportional to the oilseed production, we estimate that Si application in sunflower can increase profit by up to 22%. Large-scale experiments are needed to better determine the proper Si dose to be applied and the oilseed production. Keywords Biodiesel . Bioenergy . CO2 assimilation rate . Helianthus annuus . Mineral nutrition . N uptake . Oilseed
1 Introduction Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an oilseed plant adapted to many edaphoclimatic conditions. Its oil is well used in culinary and in the production of biodiesel. According to the FAO (http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC), 52 million tons of sunflower seed was produced in 2018. In Brazil,
sunflower is used as an option for rotation and succession crop in regions where grains are produced [1]. Although Brazil is one of the greatest biodiesel producers, this country is still not among the biggest sunflower seed producers. Thus, if Brazil wants sustainability in the production of bioenergy, it is important to increase the productivity of this plant without significantly increasing the production costs.
* Murilo de Melo Peixoto [email protected]
José Arnaldo Castro-Netto [email protected] Dalva Graciano-Ribeiro [email protected]
Rilner Alves Flores [email protected] Charlismilã Amorim do Couto [email protected] Haryel Domingos N. Pacheco [email protected] Renato de Mello Prado [email protected] Jonas Pereira Souza-Junior [email protected]
1
Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade Vegetal, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Samambaia, Caixa Postal 131, CEP 74001-970, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
2
Escola de Agronomia, Univer
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