Abstract
Abstract The stalk borer Eldana saccharina is the most destructive pest in sugarcane in South Africa. This study investigated: (1) the potential of applied silicon in enhancing plant resistance of sugarcane to E. saccharina , using calcium silicate as a carrier; (2) whether there was any interaction between cane variety (and stalk borer resistance) and silicon treatment. Six commercial varieties of sugarcane were treated in a pot‐plant trial with two levels (5000 and 10 000 kg/ha) of calcium silicate. After artificial infestation with E. saccharina , response to the treatments was assessed in terms of borer numbers and mass, and stalk damage. Calcium silicate significantly enhanced resistance at the higher rate compared with the control. Borer mass was reduced by 19.8% and stalk length bored by 24.4%. Lower treatment values were intermediate between those of the higher treatment and the control. The interaction between variety and Si treatment was not significant when varieties were examined individually in the analysis. However, the interaction was significant for borer mass when varieties were grouped according to their resistance characteristics. Susceptible varieties might benefit more from treatment with silicon than resistant ones, as resistant varieties showed no significant effect of silicon. All varieties had increased silicon content due to the treatments, but differed appreciably in stalk silicon content at the different treatment levels. Similarly, within varieties, stalk silicon content did not correspond consistently with borer response patterns and silicate application rates.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
High rate calcium silicate reduced Borer mass by 19.8% against control.
- Taxon
- sugarcanet0
- Treatment
- Calcium silicatee0
- Outcome
- Borer masse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 19.8%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Not reportedInteractor
Verbatim
t0“sugarcane”
e0“Calcium silicate significantly enhanced resistance at the higher rate compared with the control. Borer mass was reduced by 19.8% and stalk length bored by 24.4%.”
Claim · model-written summary
High rate calcium silicate reduced stalk length bored by 24.4% against control.
- Taxon
- sugarcanet0
- Treatment
- Calcium silicatee0
- Outcome
- stalk length borede0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 24.4%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Not reportedInteractor
Verbatim
t0“sugarcane”
e0“Calcium silicate significantly enhanced resistance at the higher rate compared with the control. Borer mass was reduced by 19.8% and stalk length bored by 24.4%.”
Claim · model-written summary
Lower calcium silicate treatment gave intermediate responses.
Verbatim
t0“sugarcane”
e0“Lower treatment values were intermediate between those of the higher treatment and the control.”
Claim · model-written summary
Variety by silicon treatment interaction was not significant for individually analyzed varieties.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
t0“sugarcane”
e0“The interaction between variety and Si treatment was not significant when varieties were examined individually in the analysis.”
Claim · model-written summary
Variety by silicon treatment interaction for borer mass was significant when varieties were grouped by resistance.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
t0“sugarcane”
e0“the interaction was significant for borer mass when varieties were grouped according to their resistance characteristics.”
Claim · model-written summary
Resistant varieties showed no significant silicon effect.
- Taxon
- sugarcanet0
- Material
- resistant varietiese0
- Treatment
- silicone0
- Outcome
- effect of silicone0
- Direction
- no significant effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“sugarcane”
e0“resistant varieties showed no significant effect of silicon.”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicon treatment increased silicon content in all varieties.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“sugarcane”
e0“All varieties had increased silicon content due to the treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
Varieties differed in stalk silicon content at treatment levels.
Verbatim
t0“sugarcane”
e0“differed appreciably in stalk silicon content at the different treatment levels.”
Claim · model-written summary
Stalk silicon content did not consistently correspond to borer response or application rate within varieties.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
t0“sugarcane”
e0“within varieties, stalk silicon content did not correspond consistently with borer response patterns and silicate application rates.”
The same questions in other papers
silicon atom · nutrient: content · Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane)Positive and negative results
1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 17 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
15 papers more in this group
See all 19 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.