Status and Speciation of Silicon and Its Interaction with Physico-Chemical Properties
Isaiah Ufuoma Efenudu
Central Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, P. M. B. 1154, Nigeria.
Ehi Robert Orhue
*
Department of Soil Science and Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City, P. M. B. 1154, Nigeria.
Ogochukwu Jennifer Ikeh
Department of Soil Science and Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City, P. M. B. 1154, Nigeria.
Michael Aimiesomon Erhayimwen
Department of Soil Science and Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City, P. M. B. 1154, Nigeria.
Blessing James
College of Resource and Environmental Science, Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation in Fujian Province, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350002, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The effectiveness of three different extractants soil mixtures—HCl, HCl + H2S04, and DTPA-TEA, in order to determine Si from soil and the forms of Silicon as influenced by different parent materials under acidic medium.
Seven forms of Silicon; namely water soluble, specifically adsorbed, oxides bound, organic matter bound, exchangeable, residual, total viz sequential fractionation.
Extractable Si value established in this study was (50.0 mg kg-1), indicating negative effect on plant physiology. The physico-chemical properties decreased significantly with increase in soil depth vs soil parent materials. In addition, the forms of Si in the parent materials decreased in the pattern RES, bound residual fractions > EXC, soluble & exchangeable fractions > OM, organic matter fraction.
Among the properties the silt fraction, pH & OM significantly and positively correlated with the forms of silicon, with negative correlation vs clay which maybe due to silicon adsorption by clayey fraction of the soil (redox). Therefore the soil maybe be maintained and conserved for farming activities.
Keywords: Silicon (Si), adsorption, soil, chelates, speciation.