Evaluation of soil factors related to available silicon in agricultural soils of Western Australia

Babak Motesharezadeh; Richard Bell; Dennis Van Gool; Andreas Neuhaus

doi:10.1071/SR25086

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Evaluation of soil factors related to available silicon in agricultural soils of Western Australia

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Evaluation of soil factors related to available silicon in agricultural soils of Western Australia

Babak Motesharezadeh, Richard Bell, Dennis Van Gool and Andreas Neuhaus

Soil research (Collingwood, Vic.), Vol.63(8), SR25086

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/SR25086

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Abstract

acetic acid extraction

beneficial element

plant analysis

silicon availability

soil fertility

soil test

soil types

Context. Plant available silicon (Si) levels in soils are of increasing interest due to the growing evidence that Si enhances plant tolerance to a range of stresses. Aim. On a diverse range of agricultural soils of Western Australia (WA), the aim was to determine the relationship between the Si concentrations in CaCl2 or acetic acid extracts and soil properties and predict the prevalence of Si deficiency. Methods. To assess the Si status in soils of WA, 203 geographically-dispersed soil samples were collected from the WA wheatbelt (spanning from Geraldton to Esperance) with a range of physicochemical characteristics in 2023 and 2024. Comprehensive soil analysis (CS) including organic carbon, pHCaCl2 ,pHH2O, texture, electrical conductivity, extractable phosphorus and potassium, DTPA-extractable micronutrients (copper, zinc, manganese and iron), exchangeable calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium, and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) plus Si extraction by CaCl2 and dilute acetic acid was completed. Key results. The mean ECEC, pHCaCl2 and organic carbon were 5.85 ± 0.59 cmol kg−1,5.65 ± 0.60 and 0.68 ± 0.48%, respectively. Based on a tentative Si critical range (20–40 mg kg−1), 74.9% of samples were under 20 mg kg−1 while 88.2% were below 40 mg kg−1 (in CaCl2). For soils with SiCaCl2 < 20 mg kg−1, statistical means for SiCaCl2 ,pHCaCl2 and ECEC were 8.70 ± 0.35 mg kg−1, 5.45 ± 0.06 and 4.00 ± 0.36 cmol kg−1, respectively. Conclusion. Based on matching our results with the mean for pH, ECEC and exchangeable cations for WA soil types, 4.62 million hectares is predicted to be low in SiCaCl2 , while another 6.3 million hectares is predicted to be marginal. Implications. We recommend a priority set of experiments for assessing the impact of Si in WA wheatbelt soils on mitigation of drought and salinity.

Details

Title: Evaluation of soil factors related to available silicon in agricultural soils of Western Australia
Authors/Creators: Babak Motesharezadeh - Murdoch University
Richard Bell - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
Dennis Van Gool - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Andreas Neuhaus - Tronox (Australia)
Publication Details: Soil research (Collingwood, Vic.), Vol.63(8), SR25086
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Number of pages: 12
Grant note: UMU2311-005RTX / Grains Research and Development Corporation (501100000980)
Identifiers: 991005845962607891
Murdoch Affiliation: Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.45 Soil Science; 3.45.473 Soil Phosphorus Dynamics
Web Of Science research areas: Soil Science
ESI research areas: Agricultural Sciences