Journal article

Publication year: 2024

Journal: Applied Soil Ecology

Volume number: 201

ISSN: 0929-1393

eISSN: 1873-0272

Open access status: Hybrid

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105483

Publisher: Elsevier

Abstract: 
Silicon (Si) is a beneficial element known to increase growth and the stress resistance of plants, including resistance against drought. However, as with many other elements, only a small fraction of Si in soils is available for plant uptake. Plant-available Si originates either from the weathering of soil minerals or from the dissolution of phytoliths in plant litter. It is known that soil fauna plays a role in both processes that contribute to the availability of Si in the soil. However, very little is known about the interactions between the weathering of soil minerals and the dissolution of Si by earthworms from phytoliths and subsequent Si uptake by plants. In greenhouse pot experiments, this study investigated the effect of an epigeic earthworm species (Dendrobaena veneta) on Si availability and uptake by wheat (Triticum aestivum) grown in soils with high or low Si availability. In addition, Si-rich plant litter (wheat straw) was added to the topsoil in some treatments. The addition of plant litter significantly increased the available Si in the soil. Plant litter addition was positively correlated with the Si concentration in wheat in low-Si soil, but not in high-Si soil. Earthworms increased Si availability in soil and casts of the low-Si soil and partly of the high-Si soil, but not Si uptake by wheat. These results suggest that earthworms play an important role in regulating the Si status of soils and may influence Si uptake by plants, especially in soils with initially low Si content and when earthworm population densities are high.

Harvard Citation style: Monoshyn, D., Chibesa, M., Puschenreiter, M., Zaller, J. and Santner, J. (2024) Impact of earthworms on soil Si availability and wheat Si concentration in low- and high-Si soils, Applied Soil Ecology, 201, Article 105483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105483

APA Citation style: Monoshyn, D., Chibesa, M., Puschenreiter, M., Zaller, J., & Santner, J. (2024). Impact of earthworms on soil Si availability and wheat Si concentration in low- and high-Si soils. Applied Soil Ecology. 201, Article 105483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105483