MetaGrow™ Si-Sol
Silica Solubilizing Microbe Inoculant
MetaGrow Si-Sol is a microbial inoculant that solubilizes silica compounds into plant-available silica. It contains dozens of bacteria species that metabolize silica compounds.
Silica is the second most prolific element on earth, after oxygen. It is a major component of soils - as Silicon Dioxide (sand), and as various silicates in silt and clay. Some silicates are already used as soil amendments: Calcium Silicate (Wollastonite), Magnesium Silicate (Olivine and Talc) and Potassium Silicate.
Silica is present in plant tissues and plant sap, but is an under-appreciated plant nutrient. Though not officially recognized in the list of essential nutrients, it is known to provide many benefits to plant growth.
In nature, plants absorb silica through the roots in a soluble, elemental form. Silica becomes plant-available through microbial enzymatic transformation of various silicates. With MetaGrow Si-Sol, SGS has collected and trained many microbes capable of metabolizing silica compounds, thereby enabling farmers to provide microbial silica metabolizers that are lacking in ag production soils.
What are Silica's Benefits to Plants?
The plant benefits of silica can be understood in two general categories: plant structural and nutrient compounding.
Structural Benefits
Silica strengthens plant tissues. Stronger plant stalks can reduce lodging of grasses. Silica can increase fruit skin strength and resiliency which may reduce fruit split. Stronger plant tissues can increase plant water use efficiency through reduced non-transpiration leaf water loss and loss due to root osmotic pressure from soil salts. The structural roles underly how increased plant silica content can support plant immune system and stress resistance (heat, drought, salt, UV).
Nutrient Compounding / Availability
Silica competes with other elements for bonding sites - Aluminum in particular. It may reduce plant uptake of Aluminum and some other non-nutrient metals. Silica can increase Phosphorus availability when Aluminum competes for plant uptake.
