Determining the Effect of Silica-Containing Mineral Fertilizer on Yield and Plant Growth in Maize Under Water Stress Conditions

Maize (corn) is an important plant used as a feedstock and a raw material in the production of many foodstuffs. Silicon (Si) is a functional and beneficial nutrient element, potentially required for some plants, which has reported effects in protecting the plant against abiotic stresses like drought stress.In this study, an experiment consisting of 27 plots was established using three different irrigation levels (based on 100%, 75%, and 50% of evaporation rate, ETc) and three different product applications (Control, 2, and 3 applications). The application type was determined as seed treatment and foliar spray.The results showed that the silicon-containing product applications did not have a positive effect on the average ear number or grain weight. No statistically significant difference was found between the treatments for hectoliter weight and harvest moisture values either. Statistical analyses performed on yield values found that the silicon-containing product applications did not have a statistically significant contribution to yield. However, it was determined that irrigation levels had a statistically significant effect on yield parameters at the 1% significance level. As expected, significant reductions in yield values were observed under water-stressed conditions. The highest yield was obtained under the full irrigation (%100) treatment, while the lowest yield was recorded at the %50 irrigation level.In conclusion, it was determined that the silicon-containing mineral fertilizer product had no effect on maize yield and did not increase the plant's tolerance to water stress.