Silicon Contributes to Control Foliar Diseases and Reduces Application Frequency of Synthetic Fungicides in Pea Crop
摘要
This study evaluated the application of soil and foliar silicon compounds, specifically potassium (KSi) and calcium (CaSi) silicate, in conjunction with fungicides, to control leaf diseases in pea plants (Pisum sativum), such as Ascochyta spp., Peronospora viciae, and Erysiphe pisi, and estimated their effects on plant physiology. Two experiments were conducted using pea plants of the cultivar Vizcaya. In experiment 1 (E1), the plants were treated with either soil or foliar Si compounds (100, 70, 50, 30%, and 0%) and fungicide application levels (0, 30, 50, 70%, and 100%) every 15 d. In experiment 2 (E2), plants were alternately treated with KSi and fungicides based on leaf disease severity. In E1, Si compounds reduced the leaf spotting area of ascochyta blight (plants without any treatment: 1.4 cm2 vs. combined applications: 0.4 cm²), leading to a 30% reduction in the fungicide application frequency. This reduction in fungicide use did not decrease the yield. In E2, no differences were recorded in the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) of ascochyta blight between combined Si and fungicide treatments. A lower AUDPC in the low canopy portion was registered in pea plants with Si combined or fungicide (~ 140) treatments compared to plants without any treatment (170). Si application decreased leaf diseases, such as ascochyta blight, mildew powdery, and downy mildew, reducing fungicide use without affecting yield. Our results suggest that Si compounds can be incorporated into integrated pea crop protection systems.