Soil testing and plant tissue analysis can be performed to determine the Si status of soils
and crops, but there is limited field calibration data available to support soil test interpretations
and soil fertility recommendations. Most of the soil fertility research in relation to silicon has
focused on soils and crops of tropical regions where large crop responses to Si fertilization are
common in rice and sugarcane. In the Northeast USA, wheat, pumpkin, and Kentucky bluegrass
are crops known to benefit from Si fertilization on some soils. In recent years there has been an
increasing number of requests for Si soil testing among university scientists as well as
professionals from the turfgrass industry. To serve this demand, some soil test laboratories in the
Northeast began offering soil testing for Si using a modification (ICP in place of colorimetric Si
determination) of the acetic acid test method that has been offered for many years through the
University of Florida soils laboratory. Because glassware can leach Si into samples, plasticware
must be used for Si analytical work in the laboratory.