EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SILICON LEVELS ON THE RICE CULTURE IN ULTISOILS AND ALFISOILS. CALABACITO, PANAMA. 2001.

Abstract

With the purpose of verifying if the silicon applications help to increase the production of biomass, height of the plant, yield of grain and silicon content both in the grain and in the foliage of the rice plantation, it was realized and experiment on greenhouse using an ultisol of Calabacito and an alfisol of Las Guabas, Penonome. Five silicon levels were applied in the form of silicon oxide (0; 20; 40; 80 and 160 kg/ha). VIOAL-3189 was the genetic material used and the experimental design was completely randomized. In Calabacito's soil increase was not observed in the yield when different doses of silicon were applied; nevertheless, if there was an increase in the number of sons for plant, and better relative yield (90 and 87%) on having applied between 20 and 40 kg/ha, respectively. In the soil of Las Guabas there was a response in parameters like: height of the plant, biomass of the crop and number of sons on having applied the same doses. It was founded that a critical level of 2.8 mg/lt of available silicon guarantees a good production of rice in intemperized soils. Dose of 100 kg/ha and 130 kg/ha of SiO₂ produce an increase in the silicon concentration in the leaf and grain, respectively.