Silicon mitigates nutritional stress of nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium deficiency in two forages plants

Forages are one of the most cultivated crops in the world. However, nutritional deficiency is common, specifically in N, P, and Ca in many forage-growing regions. Silicon (Si) can attenuate the stress caused by nutritional deficiency, but studies on Si supply’s effects on forage plants are still scarce. This research was carried out to evaluate whether the Si supply can mitigate the effects of N, P, and Ca deficiencies of two forages and the physiological and nutritional mechanisms involved. Two experiments were carried out with two forage species (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu and Megathyrsus maximum cv. Massai). We used nutrient solution under balanced nutrition conditions and nutritional stress due to the lack of N, P, and Ca combined with the −Si and +Si. The deficiencies of N, P, and Ca in both forages’ cultivation caused damage to physiological and nutritional variables, decreasing the plant dry matter. However, in both forage species, the Si addition to the nutrient solution decreased the extravasation of cellular electrolytes and increased the content of phenolic compounds, the green colour index, the quantum efficiency of photosystem II, the efficiencies of use of N, P and Ca and the production of shoot dry matter. The beneficial effects of Si were evidenced in stressed and non-stressed plants. The research emphasised the advantage of using Si to grow U. brizantha and M. maximum under N, P, and Ca deficiency, contributing to their sustainable cultivation.