Detection, Distribution, and Quantification of Silicon in Floricultural Crops utilizing Three Distinct Analytical Methods

Silicon (Si) detection, distribution, and quantification in plants was compared using electron beam analysis (EBA; scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis), colorimetric analysis, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) in 14 economically important floriculture species. Using EBA, Si was identified most commonly around the base of trichomes and along the leaf margins. The ICP-OES processing and analysis for Si using sodium hydroxide ( NaOH) resulted in damaged torches and microwavable Teflon (R) vessels that required expensive replacement at the end of each run, but this was not the case in the colorimetric method or with a potassium hydroxide (KOH)-based matrix in the ICP-OES. The results of these analyses suggest there is agreement between quantification methods, and EBA has a lower detection limit of about 300 mg kg(-1) dry weight of Si. Several new floriculture species (zinnia, impatiens, verbena, and calibrachoa) were identified that take up and accumulate Si in significant concentrations.