📅 April 2026 · ⏱ 7 min read · BSiO₂ Pty Ltd
Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust. It is present in every Queensland soil. And yet it is the most consistently overlooked element in Australian agriculture.
While farmers carefully manage nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels, silicon has been largely ignored — dismissed as background mineral noise. But a remarkable body of research, including landmark field trials conducted right here across Queensland, is changing that picture entirely. Silicon is not just present in your soil — in the right form, it is one of the most powerful tools available for improving crop yields, reducing fertiliser costs, building drought resistance, and combating the salinity that plagues so much of our agricultural land.
And the best natural source of plant-available silicon happens to sit in a deposit near Mt Garnet in Far North Queensland. It is what BSiO₂ Pty Ltd mines, processes, and supplies wholesale.
Between 2008 and 2010, Professor Vladimir Matichenkov of the Institute of Basic Biological Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, conducted field trials on 150 commercial farms from Mossman to Bundaberg. Professor Matichenkov is one of the world's leading researchers in silicon soil science, with decades of published work cited in peer-reviewed journals across Europe, North America, and Asia.
The trials used BSiO₂ Natural Silica (referred to in the research as NS — Natural Silica) at 1 tonne per hectare alongside standard mineral fertilisation. Each field trial included at least three control plots on standard fertiliser and at least three plots on standard fertiliser plus Natural Silica. The total trial area exceeded 2,500 hectares across sugarcane, hay, potato, banana, passion fruit, and tropical fruit crops.
The research was presented at the Agronomy Australia conference proceedings. Here is what was found:
Range 25–50% across Kaban and Milla Milla trials
Range 15–25% — Tableland, Innisfail, passion fruit
Range 5–40% — Ingham best result: 41 to 70 t/ha
| Crop | Average Yield Increase | Range | Key Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hay | +28% | 25–50% | Kaban: 1.03 → 1.24 t/ha; Milla Milla: 0.84 → 1.03 t/ha |
| Banana & Tropical Fruits | +17.8% | 15–25% | Tableland: 3.4 → 3.8 t/ha; Innisfail banana: 4.3 → 4.8 t/ha |
| Passion fruit | +54% | — | Tableland: 35 → 54 kg per tree |
| Potato | +13.4% | 10–30% | Tableland: 25.4 → 28.7 t/ha |
| Sugarcane | +12.5% | 5–40% | Ingham: 41 → 70 t/ha (+71%); Burdekin: 73 → 88 t/ha |
Beyond raw yield, the trials measured soil nutrient levels before and after Natural Silica application. In every case, treated plots showed improved levels of plant-available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium — not because more fertiliser was applied, but because silicon unlocked nutrients already present in the soil but previously unavailable to plants.
This is the finding with the greatest commercial significance for Australian farmers. Professor Matichenkov's trial design specifically tested whether conventional fertiliser inputs could be reduced while maintaining — or improving — yield performance.
Annual fertiliser spend: $800–$1,200/ha
20–30% saving: $160–$360/ha saved
Plus average 12.5% yield improvement
Plus ccs (sugar content) improvement
Silicon unlocks phosphorus already locked in soil as unavailable compounds. Less additional P, N, and K fertiliser is needed because silicon makes what is already there accessible to plant roots.
The trial design included plots at 70–75% of standard fertilisation plus 1 tonne/ha Natural Silica, and in some trials at 50% of standard fertilisation plus Natural Silica. In every case, the reduced-fertiliser plus NS plots maintained yield performance comparable to or exceeding 100% standard fertilisation with no silicon addition.
The conclusion from 150 farms across Queensland: Natural Silica provided the possibility of reducing the application of traditional fertilisers by 20–30% without negative impact on crop production.
Plants absorb silicon as monosilicic acid (H₄SiO₄) — a soluble compound released as amorphous silica dissolves slowly in soil water. Once inside the plant, silicon performs several distinct functions simultaneously:
Silicon accumulates in epidermal (outer) plant tissue, forming a tough physical layer. This resists fungal penetration and insect attack, reducing the need for fungicide and pesticide applications.
Silicon reduces water loss through leaf surfaces (transpiration). Greenhouse trials at the Russian Academy of Sciences demonstrated 20–30% less irrigation was needed with no yield penalty.
Silicon blocks sodium transport through plant tissue — critical for coastal Queensland cane areas where salinity is chronic. At 1% sodium concentration, silicon-treated barley produced nearly 6 times the biomass of untreated controls.
Monosilicic acid reacts with calcium, aluminium, and iron phosphates in soil — compounds that lock phosphorus in plant-unavailable forms — converting them to plant-available phosphorus. This is why less fertiliser achieves the same result.
Silicon increases beneficial microbial activity in soil, improving the biological conversion of organic nitrogen and enhancing long-term soil structure and health.
Silicon optimises root formation and enhances photosynthetic efficiency — plants convert sunlight to biomass more effectively when silicon is available.
The Queensland field trials were supported by controlled greenhouse experiments conducted at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Pushchino, Russia. Barley was grown under precisely controlled drought and salt toxicity conditions using BSiO₂ Natural Silica.
At only 40% of normal irrigation, Natural Silica-treated plants produced 138% more biomass than untreated control plants.
Correlation between plant biomass and soil available silicon ranged 0.90–0.95 — confirming silicon as a key limiting factor under water stress.
At 1% sodium concentration (severe salt toxicity), Natural Silica-treated barley produced nearly 6 times more biomass than untreated controls.
Silicon blocked sodium transport from root to stem and leaf, and stabilised chlorophyll molecules under sodium stress — protecting photosynthesis.
Not all silicon sources are equal. The key is plant-available silicon — specifically monosilicic acid that dissolves readily into soil water and can be absorbed by plant roots. BSiO₂ Natural Silica is uniquely suited for this role:
Professor Matichenkov's Queensland trials built directly on earlier CSIRO and BSES research conducted from 1999–2003 (Project CLW009), which established three field trials at Bundaberg, Innisfail, and Mossman to investigate silicon's role in sugarcane production.
The CSIRO and BSES report concluded that silicon should be treated as an integral part of any fertiliser strategy associated with cane production on Queensland soils, and specifically identified the need for an efficient local Australian source of silicon fertiliser — noting that silicon-rich slags used in the USA and Brazil posed pollution risks from heavy metal content. BSiO₂ Natural Silica — naturally occurring, non-toxic, and certified — is precisely the local source that research called for.
| Crop | Recommended Grade | Application Rate | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sugarcane | 2–4 mm or Minus 2 mm | 1 t/ha | Broadcast and incorporate before planting or ratoon |
| Hay and pasture | 2–4 mm or Minus 2 mm | 1 t/ha | Broadcast, allow rain to incorporate |
| Banana | Minus 2 mm | 1 t/ha | Ring application around plant base, irrigate in |
| Potato | Minus 2 mm | 1 t/ha | Incorporate into bed before planting |
| Tropical fruits | Minus 2 mm | 1 t/ha | Broadcast under canopy, irrigate in |
| Salinity-affected soils | 2–4 mm or Minus 2 mm | 1–2 t/ha | Broadcast and incorporate — improves structure and reduces sodium |
Application rates are general guides based on Professor Matichenkov's Queensland trial data. Consult your agronomist for recommendations specific to your soil type and cropping system.
BSiO₂ Natural Silica is not a replacement for conventional fertilisation. It is a soil amendment that makes your existing fertiliser program work harder — unlocking phosphorus already in your soil, improving nitrogen and potassium availability, protecting crops from drought and salt, and stimulating the microbial life that drives long-term soil health. The evidence from 150 Queensland commercial farms is clear. The question is not whether silicon works. The question is how much yield and fertiliser cost you are leaving on the table by not using it.
Contact Richard West for pricing on Natural Silica for silicon fertiliser applications. Supplied wholesale in 1 tonne FIBC bulka bags across East Coast Australia.
