Efficacy of Diatomaceous Earth and Silicic Acid on Leaf Quality and Biochemical Properties in Mulberry

Abstract

A study on ‘Diatomaceous earth (DE) and silicic acid as a source of silicon on mulberry leaf quality and biochemical attributes’ was conducted during 2022-24. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with thirteen treatment combinations and three replications. Diatomaceous earth (DE) was applied to soil in five split doses at 18 days after pruning (DAP) along with RDF and foliar silicic acid (FSA) spray was given at 28 DAP for five crops at varied levels. Observations were recorded at 30th, 45th and 60th DAP and pooled data of five crops were analysed. Among different treatments, combined application of 450 kg ha-1 DE + 4ml L−1 FSA (T10) recorded highest moisture content (73.45 ± 3.01 %), highest moisture retention capacity (77.62 ± 5.28 %), crude protein (22.50 ± 1.28 %), crude fibre (12.59 ± 0.42 %) and crude fat (4.76 ± 0.17 %) content whereas, T11 (600 kg ha-1 DE + 4ml L−1 FSA) exhibited maximum carbohydrate (19.87 ± 0.19 %), total phenols (15.46 ± 0.51 mg GAE g-1 dw), chlorophyll ‘a’ (1.58 ± 0.05 mg g-1), chlorophyll ‘b’ (0.98 ± 0.03 mg g-1), total chlorophyll (2.56 ± 0.02 mg g-1) and ash content (9.57 ± 0.21 %) in mulberry leaves. Further, T11 (600 kg ha-1 DE + 4ml L−1 FSA) and T8 (600 kg ha-1 DE + 2ml L−1 FSA) exhibited on par results with T10 for all the leaf biochemical attributes of mulberry.