Hydrothermal nanosilica in agricultural crop and biotechnology
Experiments on application of hydrothermal nanosilica to increase productivity agricultural plants were carried out. Nanosilica sol was produced by ultrafiltration membrane concentration of orthosilicic acid polymers of hydrothermal solution to SiO2 content 10–20 mas. %. Plants treatment was done by diluted sol with SiO2 content in the range 0.0001–0.2 mas. %. Treatment of seeds ore upground parts of plants once ore twice was applied. SiO2 consumption was about 10–20 g per hectare. Experiments with wide range of plants was done, including potatoes, cabbage, vegetable marrow, onion, mustard, amaranth, tomato, sugar, wheat, beet and radish. Besides productivity biochemical and biometric parameters were changed: plants height, quantity, length, wide of leafs and others. For example, in upground mass of amaranth was detected decreasing of cellular tissue content and increasing grease, total saccharin content with constant content of carotene and protein. In amaranth seeds increasing of oil, squalene, starch, protein, vitamin C content was detected.