Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-1-2019

Abstract

Silicon (Si) is known to alleviate biotic and abiotic stress, and to reduce the development of fungal diseases in a number of different pathosystems. Biochar-based Si fertilizers, especially highly efficient alkali-enhanced biochar for recycling phytolith, has been recently proposed as a stress-alleviating amendment but its evaluation on plant disease development has not been investigated. In this study, several biochar–based Si fertilizers including raw biochar without alkaline enhancement (0 KB), alkali-enhanced biochars with KOH (10 KB), CaO (10CB), and K 2 CO 3 (10K2B) along with commonly-used mineral Si fertilizer wollastonite (WO) and calcium silicate slag (SL) were evaluated in a controlled potting study for their potential to suppress gray leaf spot (Magnaporthe oryzae) development in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Application of 10 KB (at 0.22% rate) increased tissue Si content by 57% compared to the control. The 1% application rate of biochar enhanced ryegrass tissue Si content by 11, 8, 34 and 27% in 0 KB, 10 KB, 10K2B and 10CB compared to 0.22% rate correspondingly. Analysis of area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) showed that gray leaf spot development was reduced by 65–77% with treatments of 0 KB, 10CB and 10 KB, 10K2B at 0.22% rate, and 58–67% for treatments of 10 KB and 10CB at 1% rate compared with the control. At the same application rate (0.22%), 10CB and 10K2B showed better performance in suppressing disease severity than commonly-used wollastonite and calcium silicate slag. Overall, soil amendments with alkali-enhanced biochar-based Si sources increased Si tissue concentration and reduced gray leaf spot development in perennial ryegrass.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Crop Protection

First Page

9

Last Page

16

Download

Share

COinS