Boosting silica levels in wheat leaves reduces grazing by rabbits

Systemic application of sodium silicate can significantly enhance the levels of leaf silica in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Mercia), suggesting that this material could reduce the palatability of plants to vertebrate herbivores (e.g. rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus L.). A bioassay was devel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Pest management science Vol. 63; no. 3; pp. 247 - 253
Main Authors:	Cotterill, J.V, Watkins, R.W, Brennon, C.B, Cowan, D.P
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-03-2007 Wiley Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
Subjects:	Animals application rate Biological and medical sciences Biological Assay Calcium Compounds - metabolism Calcium Compounds - pharmacology calcium silicate slag chemical constituents of plants crop production cultural control Feeding Behavior - drug effects Fertilizers Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology grazing intensity Herbivores Hydroponics leaves Orycolagus cuniculus Oryctolagus cuniculus palatability pest control Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection Plant Leaves - drug effects Plant Leaves - metabolism plant pests quantitative analysis Rabbits Rabbits - physiology Resistance to control Silica silicates Silicates - metabolism Silicates - pharmacology silicon Sodium sodium silicate Soil Triticum - drug effects Triticum - metabolism Triticum aestivum Vertebrates Wheat winter wheat United Kingdom Sodium silicate Monocotyledones Browsing Rabbit Plant leaf calcium silicate slag Lagomorpha Silica Cereal crop Inorganic compound Calcium silicate Vertebrata Oryctolagus cuniculus Pest Mammalia Palatability Gramineae Angiospermae Spermatophyta Silicon Triticum aestivum
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Summary:	Systemic application of sodium silicate can significantly enhance the levels of leaf silica in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Mercia), suggesting that this material could reduce the palatability of plants to vertebrate herbivores (e.g. rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus L.). A bioassay was developed using hydroponically grown wheat plants. Plants treated with sodium silicate were significantly more resistant to grazing by wild rabbits than untreated plants, with severe, potentially lethal feeding damage being reduced by over 50%. Further studies were carried out to develop more practical techniques for boosting silica levels in plants using silicon-rich 'fertilisers' including calcium silicate and calcium silicate slag (CSS). Silica levels were elevated in the plant 1.9-2.8 times over the control through the application of various silicon materials, in line with those of the hydroponic treatment. Encouragingly, levels of silica were elevated even in young wheat plants, which are most vulnerable to rabbit damage, and in a range of wheat varieties. The use of CSS is particularly promising because of its lower cost in comparison with calcium silicate, and it has a proven track record in slag fertilisation of rice and sugar cane crops. At the optimum CSS application rate of 3 g silicon L⁻¹ soil, wheat silica levels were approximately doubled, with no detrimental impacts on long-term growth or yield.
Bibliography:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ps.1302 ark:/67375/WNG-WS5HGMV5-2 ArticleID:PS1302 istex:BCD36F6DC9A14C08B7900ADC25808E5D6D82E52D ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1526-498X 1526-4998
DOI:	10.1002/ps.1302