Effect of different rate of silicate fertilizer on the growth and yield of Tarom Hashemi rice variety

The rice plant need the silicon element more than other nutrition elements, but its importance has not been clearly known. In order to study of silicon effect on the growth and yield of rice (Tarom Hashemi variety), an experiment was carried out in pot and field conditions with three replicates in the greenhouse and in the field of Rice Research Institute of Iran (Amol) in 2009 and 2010. Three levels of N fertilizer (69, 92 and 115 kg/ha) with three levels of silicon fertilizer (0, 250 and 500 kg/ha) were considered as a factorial design. The agronomic characters such as plant height, tiller number, leaf area, leaf and stem dry weight were measured at three stages. The yield and yield component were obtained at physiological maturity stage. The results showed that with increasing of silicon fertilizer in pot, silicon concentration in the leaf was increased (P<0.05). The silicon effect in pot experiment was more than in the field. With using of silicon fertilizer, total dry weight and yield were increased that there were significant at 5% level of probability. Dry weight was improved with increasing of leaf area, plant height and tiller number per hills. Increasing of yield was due to improving of number of filled grain and panicle dry weight. Application of 250-500 kg/ha silicon fertilizer was increased about 5% of yield in the field and 24% in pot experiment.