Silicon is an important beneficial nutrient element for plants, and is even essential for crops such as rice, sugarcane, and horsetails. The determination of silicon content is a key indicator for evaluating the silicon nutritional status of plants and assessing the soil's silicon supply capacity.
Determination Principle: Plant samples are mixed with NaOH solution and heated in a boiling water bath for one hour to dissolve amorphous SiO₂. The extract is then neutralized with acid, and the silicon content is determined using the silicon molybdenum blue colorimetric method.