Foliar Application of Silicon: An Innovative and Effective Strategy for Enhancing Tomato Yield in Hydroponic Systems
Hydroponic cultivation offers a promising solution to water scarcity by using less water than traditional soil-based agriculture. Although the integration of silicon (Si) in hydroponic systems is still limited, its foliar application is crucial for optimizing plant growth, enhancing resilience, and...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/7/1553 |
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| author | Raoudha Baioui Rabaa Hidri Slim Zouari Mounir Hajji Mohamed Falouti Farah Bounaouara Moufida Borni Ahmed Hichem Hamzaoui Chedly Abdelly Walid Zorrig Inès Slama |
| author_facet | Raoudha Baioui Rabaa Hidri Slim Zouari Mounir Hajji Mohamed Falouti Farah Bounaouara Moufida Borni Ahmed Hichem Hamzaoui Chedly Abdelly Walid Zorrig Inès Slama |
| author_sort | Raoudha Baioui |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hydroponic cultivation offers a promising solution to water scarcity by using less water than traditional soil-based agriculture. Although the integration of silicon (Si) in hydroponic systems is still limited, its foliar application is crucial for optimizing plant growth, enhancing resilience, and improving productivity. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effects of silicon foliar application on growth, yield parameters, and photosynthetic activity of one of the most important fruit vegetables worldwide—tomatoes (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L.)—cultivated in a closed hydroponic system. Tomato plants were subjected to a weekly silicon foliar spray (1 mM Na<sub>2</sub>SiO<sub>3</sub>) over a period of 10 weeks. Our results demonstrate that silicon foliar spray in hydroponically grown tomatoes significantly improved photosynthetic pigment concentration and enhanced the photochemical efficiency of the photosystems, particularly the quantum yields Y(I) and Y(II). Moreover, silicon treatment resulted in reduced energy dissipation within the photosystems, as indicated by decreases in Y(NPQ), Y(NO), and Y(ND), along with enhanced oxidation of PSI (P700ox). These physiological improvements were directly linked to increased stem width and length, and a substantial boost in plant dry weight compared with untreated controls. Consequently, the silicon foliar spray resulted in a significant increase in the number of racemes, flowers, and fruits. Ultimately, these enhancements culminated in a 69% increase in fruit biomass yield (<i>r</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.70; <i>p</i> < 0.01), highlighting the positive impact of silicon on tomato productivity in hydroponic systems. These findings suggest that silicon foliar application optimizes growth and photosynthetic efficiency while reducing energy dissipation. Consequently, silicon supplementation enhances tomato productivity in hydroponic systems, offering a promising solution for increasing yields in water-efficient agriculture. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cc48a0fea2d7461a940dc5f2a732f959 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-cc48a0fea2d7461a940dc5f2a732f9592025-08-20T03:13:42ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952025-06-01157155310.3390/agronomy15071553Foliar Application of Silicon: An Innovative and Effective Strategy for Enhancing Tomato Yield in Hydroponic SystemsRaoudha Baioui0Rabaa Hidri1Slim Zouari2Mounir Hajji3Mohamed Falouti4Farah Bounaouara5Moufida Borni6Ahmed Hichem Hamzaoui7Chedly Abdelly8Walid Zorrig9Inès Slama10Laboratory of Extremophile Plants, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, P.O. Box 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, TunisiaLaboratory of Extremophile Plants, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, P.O. Box 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, TunisiaTunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (UTAP), Street of the Assistance, Perpendicular to Alain Savary’s Avenue, El Khadhra City, Tunis 1003, TunisiaLaboratory of Valorization of Useful Materials, National Center for Research in Materials Sciences, Technopole of Borj Cedria, P.O. Box 73, Soliman 8027, TunisiaLaboratory of Extremophile Plants, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, P.O. Box 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, TunisiaLaboratory of Extremophile Plants, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, P.O. Box 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, TunisiaLaboratory of Valorization of Useful Materials, National Center for Research in Materials Sciences, Technopole of Borj Cedria, P.O. Box 73, Soliman 8027, TunisiaLaboratory of Valorization of Useful Materials, National Center for Research in Materials Sciences, Technopole of Borj Cedria, P.O. Box 73, Soliman 8027, TunisiaLaboratory of Extremophile Plants, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, P.O. Box 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, TunisiaLaboratory of Extremophile Plants, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, P.O. Box 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, TunisiaLaboratory of Extremophile Plants, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cedria, P.O. Box 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, TunisiaHydroponic cultivation offers a promising solution to water scarcity by using less water than traditional soil-based agriculture. Although the integration of silicon (Si) in hydroponic systems is still limited, its foliar application is crucial for optimizing plant growth, enhancing resilience, and improving productivity. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effects of silicon foliar application on growth, yield parameters, and photosynthetic activity of one of the most important fruit vegetables worldwide—tomatoes (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L.)—cultivated in a closed hydroponic system. Tomato plants were subjected to a weekly silicon foliar spray (1 mM Na<sub>2</sub>SiO<sub>3</sub>) over a period of 10 weeks. Our results demonstrate that silicon foliar spray in hydroponically grown tomatoes significantly improved photosynthetic pigment concentration and enhanced the photochemical efficiency of the photosystems, particularly the quantum yields Y(I) and Y(II). Moreover, silicon treatment resulted in reduced energy dissipation within the photosystems, as indicated by decreases in Y(NPQ), Y(NO), and Y(ND), along with enhanced oxidation of PSI (P700ox). These physiological improvements were directly linked to increased stem width and length, and a substantial boost in plant dry weight compared with untreated controls. Consequently, the silicon foliar spray resulted in a significant increase in the number of racemes, flowers, and fruits. Ultimately, these enhancements culminated in a 69% increase in fruit biomass yield (<i>r</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.70; <i>p</i> < 0.01), highlighting the positive impact of silicon on tomato productivity in hydroponic systems. These findings suggest that silicon foliar application optimizes growth and photosynthetic efficiency while reducing energy dissipation. Consequently, silicon supplementation enhances tomato productivity in hydroponic systems, offering a promising solution for increasing yields in water-efficient agriculture.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/7/1553hydroponic cultivationsilicon applicationtomatophotosynthetic activitygrowthfruit |
| spellingShingle | Raoudha Baioui Rabaa Hidri Slim Zouari Mounir Hajji Mohamed Falouti Farah Bounaouara Moufida Borni Ahmed Hichem Hamzaoui Chedly Abdelly Walid Zorrig Inès Slama Foliar Application of Silicon: An Innovative and Effective Strategy for Enhancing Tomato Yield in Hydroponic Systems Agronomy hydroponic cultivation silicon application tomato photosynthetic activity growth fruit |
| title | Foliar Application of Silicon: An Innovative and Effective Strategy for Enhancing Tomato Yield in Hydroponic Systems |
| title_full | Foliar Application of Silicon: An Innovative and Effective Strategy for Enhancing Tomato Yield in Hydroponic Systems |
| title_fullStr | Foliar Application of Silicon: An Innovative and Effective Strategy for Enhancing Tomato Yield in Hydroponic Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Foliar Application of Silicon: An Innovative and Effective Strategy for Enhancing Tomato Yield in Hydroponic Systems |
| title_short | Foliar Application of Silicon: An Innovative and Effective Strategy for Enhancing Tomato Yield in Hydroponic Systems |
| title_sort | foliar application of silicon an innovative and effective strategy for enhancing tomato yield in hydroponic systems |
| topic | hydroponic cultivation silicon application tomato photosynthetic activity growth fruit |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/7/1553 |
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