Published Paper Details:

Cicer arietinum, commonly referred to as chickpea, is an annual legume plant that belongs to the Fabaceae family. It has an upright growth habit and typically reaches a height ranging from 20 to 60 centimetres. This study investigates the effects of soluble silica on growth and photosynthetic pigments of chickpea sown in bio-enzyme treated soil. Bio-enzymes, natural growth promoters derived from organic sources, are known to enhance soil fertility and plant health. Soluble silica, a beneficial element for plant growth, was sprayed at different concentrations. The treatment with bio-enzyme was given a day before sowing and continued after every 15 days. The foliar spray of soluble silica was given after 15 days of sowing and continued after every 15 days. Our results showed notable increase in initial growth metrics, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids of chickpea grown in soil treated with 2 ml per litre of bio-enzyme and foliar application of 10 ml per litre soluble silica compared to control and to the other treatments that used either bio-enzyme or soluble silica alone, or in combination. These findings suggest that integrating foliar application of soluble silica on chickpea grown in soil treated with bio-enzyme can significantly boost plant height including the number of branches and leaf numbers along with photosynthetic pigments.