EFFECT OF THE APPLICATION OF SILICON HYDROXIDE ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF CHERRY TOMATO

Abstract

Silicon (Si) plays an important role in the structural rigidity of cell walls. When plants have a passive or selective assimilation or they are poor accumulators as solanaceae, the percentage of silicon absorbed and present in the plants is lower than 1%, but its presence can provide significant benefits to the plant before it undergoes biotic and abiotic stresses. The objective of this work was to assess the effect of fertilization with monosilicic acid on yield and quality of cherry tomato crops (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme cv. ‘Salomee’) grown on rockwool in a greenhouse. Two types of treatments were investigated: control test (conventional fertilization) and fertilization with silicic acid [Si(OH)₄] [seven applications of 250 mL of Si(OH)₄·ha⁻¹ for each crop cycle]. Significant differences were observed, including a higher number of fruits (fruits/plant) and a larger yield (kg m⁻²) in the plots that were fertilized with silicon.

Keywords:

• silicon
• cherry tomato
• yield
• quality