Effect of calcium silicate from cement industry on growth, yield and silicon accumulation of Riceberry and Tubtim Chumphae rice varieties

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a major food crop and important economic crop of Thailand. Presently, consumers are turning to concentrate on health care. Riceberry and Tubtim Chumphae are popular rice varieties because of containing a high nutrition and antioxidant content that can minimize the risk of cancer. Rice is a plant that accumulates silicon in plant tissues which indirectly affected to increased crop yield. However, silicon has a higher price in recent, the waste from cement industry can be used as silicon source. Therefore, the objective of this research was to study the levels of calcium silicate from the cement industry on growth and yield of the 2 rice varieties, which different using 5 calcium silicate levels of 0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 kg/rai. The experiment was 2×5 Factorial in completely randomized design (CRD) with conducting the experiment in pots under greenhouse condition. The results showed that application of different calcium silicate levels did not significantly affect on grain yield. However, application of calcium silicate at the rates of 200, 400 and 600 kg/rai. gave rice yield over control by 13.15, 6.11 and 6.07 %t, respectively. Tubtim Chumphae rice variety produced significantly (P≤0.01) higher grain yield than that of Riceberry rice variety. Silicon accumulation on stem, panicle and husk did not significant difference between two rice varieties.