Effect of silicon application on reproductive growth of rice plant

To analyze the role of silicon at the reproductive stage of rice plant, the plants were grown in a culture solution with 4 silicon levels (0, 5, 15, and 50 mg L-1) from the panicle formation stage. Results obtained were as follows: The delay in heading at the lower silicon levels was due to the shorter length of straw before heading. The brown spots on the hull, whole number increased at the silicon 0 level, appeared until the 10th day after heading. The spikelet number was lower from the day before heading at lower silicon levels than at higher silicon levels. The decrease in the number of unfilled spikelets during growth was delayed when the silicon level in the nutrient solution decreased. The thousand-kernel-weight became smaller on the day before heading at lower silicon levels than at higher silicon levels.