Application of silica nutrients to improves local rice productivity under saline conditions

Abstract

Silica is beneficial nutrients that affect rice plants to be tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, include saline conditions. The aim of this research was to examine the effect of silica nutrients to the productivity of local rice accession PH 1 under saline conditions. The research used a factorial completely randomized design. The first factor is levels of salinity include non-saline, 4 dS m-1, 8 dS m-1, and 12 dS m-1. The second factor is the addition of silica nutrients per kg soil include 300 mg, 450 mg, and 600 mg. Salinity and the addition of silica nutrients were not significantly different to root canopy ratio, plant growth rate, and harvest index. However, the addition of silica nutrients up to 600 mg affects increasing of productivity up to 1.18 tonnes ha-1. There is an interaction between salinity and the addition of silica nutrients to the number of productive tillers, when the plant was given saline conditions 4 dS m-1 to 8 dS m-1, plant needs the addition of silica nutrients as much as 450 mg to 600 mg. While increasing the saline conditions up to 12 dS m-1 plant needs the addition of silica nutrients as much as 300 mg.