Scientists Start to Recognize Silicon ' s Beneficial Effects

In the first articles of this series on beneficial elements (Hull, 2004), we discussed the general distinctions between essential and beneficial nutrients. The beneficial element under consideration here, silicon (Si), could justify being applied to turf. In fact, there are more published reports on the beneficial effects of applying Si to turf than there are for most essential micronutrient elements. In his review article on Si, Emanuel Epstein concluded that Si is unquestionably an important requirement for the normal growth of many plants, and it should be viewed as "quasiessential" (Epstein, 1999).