Ino Si

🌱 What is it made of?

This foliar fertilizer has a very high (200 g/l) silicon content, supplemented with manganese and zinc. The silicon in this product is micronised, which means that it is ground very fine (particle size less than 10 microns), so that it provides perfect coverage on the leaf surface. This silicon product is enriched with adjuvants that help it adhere to the leaf and penetrate it faster. It should be shaken before use as these tiny active ingredients settle to the bottom of the can during storage, but are re-solubilised when shaken.

✨ How does it work?

The three active ingredients in the product fight the main effect of silicon (Si). When sprayed on the leaf, it is absorbed into its surface cells (epidermis) and strengthens it. This makes the stems and leaves of the plant tougher and more resistant to the weather. In particular, grasses such as turf require large amounts of silicon. Biological protection is not as simple as chemical protection, so it is worth combining different methods. Thus, it can be applied at the beginning of the growing season and in autumn Tricho Immune treatments are worth the SoftGuard, and Ino Si treatments to follow. These three effects together mean higher efficiency for our plants.

💪 Why is the plant useful?

When the plant is attacked, it also naturally increases its silicon content. Plants with a higher silicon content are avoided by insects, which prefer to go where the leaves and stems are softer. Mushroom hyphal threads, and caterpillars don't like approaching sharp silicon crystals either. Silicon crystals can reflect light and cool the plant by 1-2 degrees in the summer heat. They optimise the functioning of the air ducts of the plants, thereby increasing their drought tolerance.

🪲 Control insects without insecticides?

In Scotland, it has been noticed that there are areas of grassland on hillsides that are greener because animals graze less. They examined these plants and found that their leaf surfaces were more rough and contained more silicon (Si).

• Silicon and the plant:

The second most common element in the Earth's crust is the silicon (~28%) after oxygen and before aluminium. These "three" form the skeleton of the clay minerals in the soil. Thus, in theory, they are available to plants in very large quantities, but the reality is that silicon (Si) is very strongly bound to the internal structure of clay minerals.

Among plants, monocots, especially grasses, contain high levels of silicon. One of the highest is in cress, where it is nearly 10%! It is also very high in rice and sugar cane, with an average of 1% in grasses. 

This graph shows that grasses with a rougher surface have a higher silicon content. In other words, plants can be genetically more resistant, but it is not clear that new plant varieties and hybrids have been bred for this in recent decades.

Based on experiments by Hartley et al (2015) and McLarnon et al (2017)

The silicon the plant silicic acid Si(OH)₄ and either in the form of undercover the plant cell wall, leaf surface, or stored at (water insoluble SiO₂ form) within the plant.

It has been observed that the strength of the plant cell wall can be increasedif they increase their silicon content. They have also been found to increase their resistance to insect and fungal attack. Silicon has been shown to activate plant phytoalexins, which play an important role in the plant's defence system.

This graph shows different silicon content of wheat varieties which varies from 0.4% to 1.6%. In other words, it is possible to breed varieties that already have a high silicon content "at the factory".

• Experiments - attack on plants and silicon

In a 2016 experiment conducted by  University of York studied the effect of silicon supplementation on chewing insect damage in 5 different grasses. They found that increased silicon levels in the plants increased their resistance to chewing insects.

Another experiment looked at the effect on plants when their leaves are damaged. In addition to the control, the leaves were first cut with scissors, then chewed with a chewing mouth-breathing insect (locust), and then with a herbivorous rodent (sowbug).

It was found that a single leaf damage did not induce any change in the silicon content of the plant. However, if the damage was regular, the plant started to take up more and more siliconto confirm your letter! What is special is that the plant sensed when it was cut with scissors, i.e. it was not attacked by an animal, because it did not react as much.

It has also been observed that the plant not only increases the silicon content of its leaves in the event of external attack, but also also develops small spines, another physical barrier to insects and fungi.

🌱 Just as in humans, a balanced diet for plants strengthens the immune system. In itself only against insects products is not sufficient. To protect our plants feed is necessary because insects and fungi also attack weaker plants first. Don't make your neighbour's patch greener 😁