Manure for rice production (#journal)

Increase of available soil silicon by Si-rich manure for sustainable rice production

Depletion of bio-available silicon, Si, in paddy soils can decrease the yields of rice. A potential solution is to amend soil with Si-rich organic wastes such as manure from animals fed with rice crop residues. Here, we studied Si in soils from 2000 to 2010 field experiments in Eastern China. Results showed that available Si in soils doubled, either as a direct input of available Si or due to Si produced by mineralization of Si minerals. These results show that amending soil with Si-rich manure in the long term is a solution for sustainable rice production.