Silica & our Soils

Silica: One of the most misunderstood elements in agriculture. Silica otherwise known as Silicon dioxide (Si02) makes up 59% of the earth’s crust and is the main constituent of more than 95% of known rocks. In agriculture there has been much recent research into Silica and Silicic Acid and their

A colleague reminded me of an article Charles Walters wrote about Silica and the Ocean back in June 2007.  When I read it I had to agree with so much of what he had written but it also raised many more questions. One of the many mysteries with Silica are

Ocean water has a pH of over 8.0 and in that environment aluminium forms hydroxides.  These hydroxides are relatively inactive. This process is demonstrated when a bright new aluminium boat is placed into ocean water. The aluminium surface reacts to produce hydroxides and oxides which form a protective layer on

Silicon is not listed as an essential plant nutrient; the question I have to ask is; WHY? When we investigate this element we find a wide range of information including cereal and rice crop trial data that demonstrates silicon’s influence on increased yields and disease resistance, silicon’s influence on nutrient