Soils with high levels of toxic Al can cause damage to plants and consequently decrease yields; a proper management is therefore essential to increase yields. Silicon can be a good alternative to reduce the toxicity of Al in the soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the interaction between silicon and Al in rice plants grown in naturally aluminous soil. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized, 2 x 5 factorial design with four replications. The treatments consisted of two highland rice cultivars: BRS Talento - susceptible to Al toxicity, modern; Guarani - tolerant to Al toxicity, traditional, and five Si rates (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 mg dm-3). The Si supplied in soil contributes to decrease the Al toxicity in both cultivars. However the response in yield was noted only in BRS Talento cultivar. There was a positive correlation between yield of BRS Talento cultivar and Si content in leaves; Al content in leaves correlated negatively to yield; and the same behavior was noted between Si and Al in leaves. It can concluded that there is an interaction between Si and Al in plants of rice.
Oriza sativa L; aluminium toxicity; silicate
