![]() Nanotechnology is one of the most important tools in modern agriculture and is expected to revolutionize the field of pest management in the near future 1. In the laboratory, while silica NPs inhibited the development of faba bean roots at 400 mg/L, they did not affect germination percentage, germination time, shoot length, or vigor index compared to the control. An olfactometer-based choice test found that rove beetles were more likely to move towards an herbivore-infested plant treated with silica NPs than to a water-treated control, suggesting that silica NPs enhance the attraction of natural enemies via herbivore-induced plant volatiles. In soybean fields, however, the total number of predators initially increased after applying the lowest concentration. In the field experiments, silica NPs reduced the populations of all three insect pests and their associated predators, including rove beetles, as the concentration of silica NPs increased. Additional laboratory experiments were performed to test the effects of silica NPs on the growth of faba bean seedlings and to determine whether the rove beetle Paederus fuscipes is attracted to cotton leafworm-infested soybean treated with silica NPs. The faba bean pests, the cowpea aphid Aphis craccivora and the American serpentine leafminer Liriomyza trifolii, and the soybean pest, the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis, were monitored along with their associated predators. Silica NPs were applied at different concentrations (75–425 mg/L) on field-cultivated faba bean and soybean for two growing seasons. ![]() Here, we evaluate the effects of silica NPs on insect pests with different feeding niches, natural enemies, and a plant. Do not use in higher concentration than 1:300.The agricultural use of silica (SiO 2) nanoparticles (NPs) has the potential to control insect pests while the safety and tritrophic effects on plants and beneficial natural enemies remains unknown. ![]() Soak seeds or plants prior to transplant.įoliar once established:- Minimum dilution 1:300 Repeat applications fortnightly for best results. ie: 3ml per 1L of water OR 30ml per 9 Litre watering can OR 200ml added to a 2 Litre Hose-on Pack topped with water.Īpply to soil or plant foliage until run off. Reduced damage from soil toxins and salinity.Makes plants physically tougher – tough plants are more resistant to pest and fungal attack.Improves leaf presentation, colour and shelf life.Improves Growth, Flowering, Fruit count,.Easy, convenient application, fast uptake.Regular use of Silica Foliar Spray ensures a constant supply to all your plants and vegies and should be used in addition to your usual fertilising programs. “Plant of Health” Silica Foliar spray are easy to use products that contain the highest amount of Plant Available Silica mined in Australia couple with the added benefits of Potassium. Furthermore assists in the uptake of nitrogen, potassium, zinc, magnesium and other elements. Once Silica is incorporated into a cell of a plant it is immobile and cannot be redistributed around the plant, therefore if all tissues are to benefit from its presence, it needs to be in constant supply. Silica, in rocks, commonly occurs as the mineral quartz and in the soil it exists in 3 forms: reactive, colloidal & suspended particles (ie sand) Reactive Silica dissolves in water to form silicic acids which are the forms in which Silica is taken up by plants. Researcher, Norbert Duffaut, spent 30 years researching and developing organic silica. Silica has also been recognised as important in human health with researchers including Louis Pasteur predicting the importance if silica to human health. Recent experiments show that plants deprived of Silica are structurally weaker, more prone to pest and disease attack, and are more susceptible to heavy metal and salt toxicities among other things. This is interesting as Silica is rarely written about in publications and its important role in plant nutrition is now being researched more and more. “PLANT of HEALTH” Silica with Potash Liquid SUPER Concentrate SILICA with the benefits of POTASH Silica is another word for Silicon and, in plants, it is present in amounts equivalent to, or higher than, elements like Calcium, Magnesium or Phosphorus.
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