Silicates and Soil Health

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Program Objectives

Objective#1: Elucidate Si mobilization and uptake in the rhizosphere with reactive nutrients and sequestration of CO2.

• Milestone 1.1: Determine Si mobilization and translocation in plants with or without salinity (AL Khan)
• Milestone 1.2: Explain Si uptake with or without the presence of reactive nutrients (AL Khan)
• Milestone 1.3: Elucidate Si and substrate nutrient management to influence rhizospheric and atmospheric carbon capture during salinity (AL Khan)
• Milestone 1.4: Elucidate the root exudation during the Si uptake in salinity (V Balan)

Objective#2: Investigate the effect of Si on physiological and molecular responses of soybean under salinity stress

• Milestone 2.1: Assess the effect of Si on agronomic and physiological parameters under salinity stress conditions in greenhouse-grown soybean plants. (A Osena)
• Milestone 2.1: Evaluate the gene expression related to Si uptake and transport in Soybean cultivars. (A Osena)
• Milestone 2.2: Study transcriptome-based changes in response to Si and salinity application to identify candidate genes and pathways (A Osena and ALKhan)

Objective#3: Determine the CO2 sequestration process and perform phenotyping and biomass production assessment during Si application.

• Milestone 3.1: Assess the plant growth, root architecture, and biomass using UAV-based technologies at field levels (ALKhan and S Khan)
• Milestone 3.2: Evaluate the field-level efficiencies of CO2 capture and storage in Si application (R Ray)
• Milestone 3.3: Determine the soil and microbial health during exogenous Si (ALKhan)
• Milestone 3.4: Determine the phytohormonal and metabolite regulation impacts during Si (ALKhan)

 

Partners

• Prairie View A & M University
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro

 

Program Questions

1. How do factors (pH and root exudation) influence Si’s transport, cycling, and binding potential from primary minerals into H4SiO4 in agricultural soil systems?
2. How does Si interact with reactive nutrients (Ca, Na, and Fe) to facilitate the mobilization and CO2 sequestration process in soil?
3. What are the genomic responses combined with Si application and salinity stress?
4. How does root exudation (organic acids and isoflavones) influence Si uptake and mobilization?
5. How can the Si-CO2 interactions help improve soil and microbial health and plant biomass in soils?