Effects of Silicon on the Yield and Cadmium Accumulation of Rice Grain

In order to investigate the effects of silicon (Si) on the yield and cadmium (Cd) concentrations of rice grain, pot soil experiments were conducted with two rice cultivars differing in Cd accumulation, and different Si application levels (low, medium and high) and different Si application methods (one time and two times) were designed. The results showed that the grain yields of Yangdao 6 (high grain Cd accumulator) were raised by 4.81% - 11.94% by the Si applications, compared to the control, and that of Yu 44 (low grain Cd accumulator) were raised by 1.98% - 9.94%. The grain Cd concentrations of Yangdao 6 were reduced by 22.22% - 73.08%, and that of Yu 44 were cut by 28.57% - 68.24%, by the Si applications. With the rises of Si application levels and Si application times, the grain yields increased but the grain Cd concentrations decreased sharply. The effects of Si applications on grain Cd concentrations were much higher than on grain yields. The results indicate that grain Cd concentration can be reduced by about 70%, and grain yield can be raised by about 10%, by the Si application measure of high level and two times during rice growth period.

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