A study has shown how silicon has almost doubled the weight of courgette fruit and helped strengthen the plant against powdery mildew.
Carried out by the University of Hertfordshire as part of ongoing plant pathology studies, the trial has identified a link between plant health, fruit weight and silicon uptake. Dr Avice Hall explains:
“The glasshouse study was carried out by an MSc student looking to establish a link between silicon uptake and courgette plant performance. The findings are very encouraging for any grower looking to boost plant health and courgette weight whilst mitigating the effect of powdery mildew.”
The trial used 40ml of the silicon biostimulant Sirius at a concentration of 0.2%. It was applied to the soil on a weekly basis for eight weeks and compared to a control sample that was given deionised water in the same volume as the treated plants received silicon.
“The average weight of courgettes treated with Sirius was 180 grams which, compared to the control at 95 grams, shows that the addition of silicon almost doubled the weight of the fruit,” says Dr Hall.
The study also charted the effect of powdery mildew on the plants. By leaf counting, the study identified that, in almost all of the eight weeks, the silicon enhanced plants had fewer infected leaves.