Study of silicon and nitrogen effects on some physiological characters of rice

ABSTRACT: Silicon is considered as a beneficial and nitrogen as an essential elements for rice production. In order to study of effect of silicon and nitrogen on some physiological characters of rice, a hydroponics culture experiment was conducted in 2008 in the greenhouse of the deputy of rice research institute of Iran (Amol). Treatments were arranged in a factorial randomized complete design with silicon factor at three levels (0, 50 and 100 ppm) and nitrogen fertilizer as another factor with two levels (30 and 60 ppm) with four replicates. Iranian improved and high –yielding variety, Nemat, was used. silicon concentration in stems and green leaves were increased with silicon at panicle initiation and flowering stages, and in high level of nitrogen silicon concentration became lower. The chlorophyll meter reading was not affected by silicon treatment. At low nitrogen level chlorophyll meter was below critical value. The photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate were not affected by silicon addition but nitrogen increased net photosynthesis rate.