What's New

This cross-post from our carbon capture partner UNDO explores the benefits of silicon for all types of crops. CW Grow is 100% Canadian Wollastonite, packed with calcium, magnesium, and silicon.

—

Silicon is one of the most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust, yet its importance in agriculture is often overlooked. While not considered an essential nutrient, silicon plays a valuable role in supporting plant growth, improving crop strength, and reducing the impact of environmental stress.

When delivered in a plant-available form, such as calcium silicate from wollastonite, silicon has been shown to support yield stability, improve root and shoot development, and reduce lodging, disease, and drought impacts. As pressure increases on soil systems and input costs continue to rise, silicon is gaining attention as a practical addition to long-term soil health strategies.

 

What Silicon Does for Plants

Silicon is taken up by plants and deposited in cell walls, where it reinforces structural strength and supports natural defences. Though crops can grow without it, many show measurable improvement when silicon is available in the soil.

Field and greenhouse research shows that silicon can:

• Increase stalk and stem strength, reducing lodging and wind damage
• Improve photosynthesis efficiency through higher chlorophyll content
• Enhance the uptake and use of nutrients like phosphorus and magnesium
• Improve root development and biomass
• Contributes to yield increases in some crops under trial conditions

Unlike short-term inputs, silicon builds resilience from the inside out, helping crops perform better under pressure from pests, weather, or limited nutrients.

 

Natural Protection Against Pests and Disease

One of silicon’s most studied benefits is its contribution to plant defence. Applied silicon doesn’t act like a pesticide but instead makes the plant tougher and more resistant to damage from insects and pathogens.

Studies show that silicon can:

• Strengthen plant tissue, making it harder for fungi to penetrate
• Support the production of natural defence compounds in the plant
• Reduce insect feeding and pest pressure
• Attract predatory insects that support natural pest control

For growers aiming to reduce their reliance on synthetic crop protection products, silicon offers a natural, soil-based layer of support.

Helping Crops Use Water More Efficiently

In dry or variable conditions, silicon can help crops retain water and continue nutrient uptake. Several studies in field crops have shown that silicon-treated plants are better able to regulate water loss and access moisture deeper in the soil profile.

In drought-prone or low-rainfall areas, silicon has been shown to:

• Improve water retention in leaves and reduce wilting
• Support deeper root growth
• Maintain nutrient uptake under low moisture conditions
• Reduce oxidative stress during heat and drought

This makes silicon a useful part of the toolkit for farms facing dry summers, compacted soils, or unpredictable growing seasons.

 

Which Crops Respond to Silicon?

Not all crops take up silicon equally, but studies have shown that several field and vegetable crops demonstrate measurable improvement when silicon is present in the soil, especially in terms of stress tolerance and root development.

Examples include:

• Wheat and barley – Stronger stalks and less lodging
• Corn – Better resistance to wind and improved nutrient use
• Rice – Fewer fungal diseases and better grain fill
• Tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins – Healthier stems and reduced pest issues
• Oats and forages – Improved biomass and nutrient density

Trial work is ongoing, but the pattern is consistent: crops exposed to silicon tend to handle stress better, with small to moderate yield or quality improvements.

 

Wollastonite as a Source of Plant-Available Silicon

Wollastonite is a calcium silicate mineral that occurs naturally in Eastern Ontario. When crushed and applied to soil, it provides silicon in a form that plants can use. Most soil silicon is locked up in minerals that break down very slowly, but wollastonite weathers more quickly, delivering benefits over a 1–2 year period.

In addition to silicon, wollastonite also provides:

• Calcium – supports strong root systems and improves pH
• Magnesium and trace elements – important for photosynthesis and nutrient use
• A liming effect – raises and stabilises soil pH
• Long-term soil structure improvement

Wollastonite gradually releases minerals that support crops and soil over multiple growing seasons, with benefits that build over time.

Backed by Research and Field Use

Scientific field trials in Canada and internationally have shown that wollastonite improves pH stability, enhances nutrient uptake, and contributes to long-term carbon sequestration through a natural process called enhanced rock weathering (ERW). This makes it a useful material for both soil health and sustainability.

Wollastonite can be applied using standard lime spreading equipment, typically at rates of 2–4 tonnes per acre. It is non-toxic, does not clump or cake, and is suitable for a wide range of cropping systems.