Work

Simultaneous enhancement of sweet corn yield and lodging resistance via silicon application with low-phosphorus management under dense planting in tropical China

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Despite the recognized benefits of silicon (Si) fertilizer in crop production, the agronomic mechanisms underlying Si-mediated improvements in lodging resistance and yield stability under low-phosphorus (P) management in sweet corn remain poorly understood. To address this, a three-season field experiment was conducted using a two-factor split-plot design with two Si levels (Si0: 0 kg ha - ¹ SiO 2 ; Si1: 50 kg ha - ¹ SiO 2 ) as main plots and five P levels (P0-P4: 0–125 kg ha - ¹ P 2 O 5 ) as sub-plots, at a planting density of 60,000 plants ha - ¹ (33% above local high-yield practice). Our results demonstrated that Si application combined with low-P management (P1: 50 kg ha - ¹ P 2 O 5 ) simultaneously enhanced lodging resistance and yield. This synergistic effect was attributed to four interrelated mechanisms: (1) elevated soil enzyme activities (phosphatase, urease, sucrase, and peroxidase), which might facilitate nutrient and sucrose metabolism; (2) strengthened root-soil anchorage via stimulated brace root formation, with root traits exerting the largest negative direct effect on lodging rate (path coefficient = -0.782, P < 0.001); (3) reinforced basal stem node development through enhanced accumulation of structural carbohydrates (lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose); and (4) optimized canopy architecture, characterized by favorable leaf angles and a greater proportion of leaf area distributed to the middle canopy layer, which was negatively correlated with lodging rate (r = -0.54, P < 0.001) and positively correlated with yield (r = 0.39, P < 0.01). Collectively, these findings indicate that Si fertilization under low-P regimes offers a promising strategy for improving both stability and productivity in sweet corn production systems.

Source: Frontiers in Plant Science

DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2026.1919054