Silicon promotes the growth of your crop, improves resistance and increases yield. However, silicon has one major drawback: it comes in a form that plants find difficult to absorb. Amstel Agro has a solution for this. This way, your crop can benefit from the positive properties of silicon.

 

Common element

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Silicon, a very common element, has many possible compounds, such as silicates (Si salts) and silicones (polymers with oxygen). There are also acids: these are the so-called ‘Orthosilicic acids’ (hydrated silicon dioxide, SiH4O42). One such example is the compound Si(OH)4, or silicic acid. This acid is formed because silicon in the soil is attacked by carbon dioxide and hydrates in the presence of organic acids.

 

Absorption in low concentrations

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Orthosilicic acid is water-soluble and can be absorbed by plants, humans and animals. In practice however, crops only absorb in low concentrations. This means that crops do not take full advantage of the positive properties. In addition, the silicon content decreases during harvest, resulting in lower fertility. It is therefore important to maintain the level of absorbable silicon (i.e. silicic acid).

 

How does silicon work?

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In nature, orthosilicic acid is absorbed by the roots of the crop and transported through the tissue system. The silicon then strengthens the cell structure of the crop. In addition, it increases leaf tissue unity and thus photosynthesis. In addition, silicon releases inactive phosphorus into the soil: this prevents excessively fast fixation of the soluble phosphorus in soil with a high pH value.

 

The benefits of silicon

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Orthosilicic acid is the ideal silicon solution for any crop. It has the following strengths:

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• Better protection against diseases (such as fungi) and insects (biotic stress)

• Increased resistance to heat, cold, drought, radiation (abiotic stress)

• Improved crop growth and development

• Higher yield and better quality

 

The right solution

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Silicon is therefore only absorbed by a crop as silicon acid, but the concentration in the soil is (too) low. Hence people have been looking for an effective way of administering silicic acid to horticultural crops for years. This is now possible with the technology of stabilised orthosilicic acid. This gives the plants sufficient silicon and allows for the positive properties of silicon to take effect.

 

Our products

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Amstel Agro is the exclusive supplier of this new line of orthosilicic acid products. These can be administered to your crop via foliar spraying and/or watering: