Silicon: the underappreciated plant nutrient

Description

Magazine article:

What nutrients do you consider to be important to a plant? What do plants need to be successful, to grow, photosynthesise, develop and defend themselves effectively against pests and disease? The majority of people, whether they study plants or not, would be able to mention at least a few of these: nitrogen, phosphorus . . . perhaps potassium. Probably very few, if any, would include silicon.