Vol. 10, Issue 11 (2021)

Author(s):
AM Prabha, P Christy Nirmala Mary, P Saravana Pandian, T Sivakumar and M Shanthi

Abstract:
Carbon sequestration is typically consummate through soil conservation practices that enhance the storage of carbon or reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Phytoliths or plant opal, microscopic siliceous amorphous substance found within the plant cell wall and cell lumen as a result of bio-silicification process and carbon occluded in the along with it called as phytolith occluded carbon (phytOC). A field trial was conducted to study the effect of silicon fertilizers on plant growth, yield attributes of maize hybrid CO6, phyotolith and PhytOC in lateritic soil (Typic Rhodulfstalf). The silicon content, phytolith and phytolith occluded carbon content of maize plant ranged from 0.196 to 0.421%, 13.8 to 25.9% and 2.1 to 4.7% respectively. Plants subjected to Soil Test Crop Response based N, P₂O₅, K₂O + calcium silicate @ 400 kg ha^-1+ foliar spray of 1% potassium silicate@ 25^th and 45^th DAS recorded the highest silicon (0.421%) and phytolith content (25.9%) whereas highest phytOC (4.7%) and carbon sequestration (731.47 kg e CO₂ha^-1) was observed in T₆. The highest soil phytolith content of 5.56% was acquired in T₆, phytolith occluded carbon (5.43%) in T₄ indicated the weak positive correlation between phytolith and phytolith occluded carbon.