Genetics plays an important role in nutrient uptake by plants including that of Si.
Genotype variability for Si content exists in sugarcane (Deren et al., 1993). Better Si accumulating sugarcane cultivars may have the advantage of requiring lower rates of Si fertilizers or their less frequent applications.
While using a genetic approach for development and/or screening of genotypes for certain desirable traits, consideration of a Si-accumulation trait will be rewarding.