Abstract
Exogenous silicon (Si) fertilization can effectively increase crop Si uptake and the formation of phytoliths that occlude organic carbon. This phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC) is recognized as a promising long-term biogeochemical carbon sequestration mode in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the PhytOC estimations have been restricted to the species level, largely ignoring the genotypic differences in the carbon sequestration potential of plants through PhytOC formation. Here, we used two wheat genotypes to document the differences in carbon sequestration potential through PhytOC estimation. Seeds of two wheat genotypes (WW-101 and SW-2) were grown in a greenhouse. After two weeks of germination, plants were given four different treatments: Control (C; Si: 0), T1 (Si: 125 mg/L), T2 (Si: 250 mg/L), and T3 (Si: 500 mg/L) along with Hoagland solution on alternate days. Upon maturity, the samples were collected for analysis of silica estimation, phytolith content, and PhytOC estimation. Silica concentration in the selected wheat genotypes increased with increasing Si fertilization. A positive correlation was found between silica content and phytolith content and between phytolith content and PhytOC content. A four-fold increase in PhytOC concentration was recorded at a higher Si concentration (T3) as compared to the control. We also calculated the potential production rates of PhytOC input globally in wheat fields by taking into consideration the total area under wheat cultivation and biomass. Our results indicate that potential exists to enhance PhytOC levels from 0.075 to 0.304 t-e-CO2 ha−1 yr−1 (WW-101) and from 0.053 to 0.251 t-e-CO2 ha−1 yr−1 (SW-2) in response to increase in Si application rates. The findings of this study highlight the significance of genotypic differences in the Si uptake potential of crops, which subsequently help in carbon capture inside phytoliths. Thus, external Si amendments and proper genotypic selection is a key in increasing long-term biogeochemical carbon sequestration through PhytOC production in crops such as wheat, which could help in mitigating global warming.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the SKUAST-WADURA for providing seeds of wheat genotypes. Financial support in the form of fellowships to IUR, MAM, and IAS by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), India, is acknowledged. The authors also acknowledge Sajad Ahmad Wani, Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy (CBT) Lab, University of Kashmir, for his help in the data analysis. The authors are also thankful to anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments that led to the improvement of this paper.
Funding
University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, Government of India, for providing fellowship via CSIR/JRF fellowship to Ishfaq Ul Rehman.
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The authors confirm their contribution to the paper as follows: study conception and design: IUR, IR; literature collection: IUR, IAS, MAM, RAD; draft manuscript preparation: IUR and IR. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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Rehman, I.U., Malik, M.A., Rashid, I. et al. Silicon Fertilization Increases Carbon Sequestration by Augmenting PhytOC Production in Wheat. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 23, 1149–1155 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-022-01110-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-022-01110-5