Explore the science behind monosilicic acid, aluminium interactions, phosphorus availability, potassium nutrition and drought tolerance — and the outcomes we aim to match with SILARA N30.
12 research papers · 6-page Bio Charge brief · Updated 12 November 2026
Colloidal silica is a dispersion of silica particles. As those particles dissolve, they can release monosilicic acid, also called orthosilicic acid — the dissolved form used for plant silicon uptake. [2] [8]
Dissolution research shows that water chemistry and particle properties influence silicon release. Being dispersed in water does not mean every particle immediately dissolves. [2]
Bio Charge describes SILARA N30 as an amorphous colloidal silica concentrate. Our objective is to measure the plant-available silicon it delivers at practical dilution and application rates.
Aluminium stress, soil phosphorus and plant potassium interact with plant growth. Each needs its own evidence.
Silicic acid can participate in hydroxyaluminosilicate formation. In maize, silicon reduced aluminium-related root injury without lowering aluminium in the surrounding nutrient solution. [3] [4]
“Locking up aluminium” is best understood as a possible reduction in its biological reactivity. It does not mean removing all aluminium from soil.
Our target: less aluminium stress and better root growth under defined conditions.
Silicon can alter phosphate interactions with mineral surfaces. Soil experiments have measured increased extractable P, but the response depends on soil chemistry and the measurement used. [5] [7]
A 2026 maize study increased soil-available P without increasing plant P uptake. Aluminium detoxification and phosphorus mobilisation are separate mechanisms. [6]
Our target: greater available P, followed by measurable plant P accumulation and growth.
Silicon improved potassium uptake and transport in salt-stressed rice. Barley research also found stronger movement of existing K stores from roots to shoots. [8] [9]
In K-deficient sorghum, improved water status did not translate into higher root or shoot K concentrations. Uptake, redistribution and concentration should be distinguished. [10]
Our target: improved potassium nutrition and productive growth at equal K supply.
A greenhouse tomato experiment using modified colloidal silica reported higher total yield and leaf silicon. Leaf and fruit phosphorus and potassium concentrations did not change significantly. [11]
This is a useful formulation comparison. It also shows why an improvement in growth does not, by itself, prove increased P or K uptake.
Our target: connect silicon exposure with measured nutrient and crop responses.
Published experiments provide reasons to test water-stress resilience: maintaining plant water status, supporting growth during stress and recovering after rewatering.
A 2025 pot study on two turf ryegrass cultivars found physiological and biomass-allocation responses to a silicon-containing foliar product. Most growth measurements within drought treatments were not significantly different. The product was Optysil, not SILARA N30. [12]
Explore the detailed ryegrass study →Silicate improved root hydraulic conductance, water status and photosynthesis in tomato seedlings under laboratory-induced osmotic stress. This supports a mechanism worth investigating, while field drought and colloidal silica application require separate testing. [13]
Read the original tomato paper →Our aim is to connect established silicon research with repeatable results in the soils, crops and management systems where Bio Charge products are used.
Measure dissolved monosilicic acid, total silicon and the delivered dose. Keep foliar and soil exposure distinct, and compare equivalent nutrient supply and pH.
Use replicated treated and untreated comparisons to assess root growth, total plant P and K, dry matter during water deficit, and recovery after rain or irrigation.
Published percentage gains are study-specific findings, not SILARA N30 performance forecasts. Current product instructions remain the starting point for use.
The chemistry, key findings, practical limitations and proposed SILARA N30 research targets — with links to all 12 research papers.
12 November 2026 · 6 pages · PDF, 217 KB
Six original PDFs are available on biocharge.co.nz under Creative Commons licences. Every paper also has a publisher or repository link. Reference numbers match the downloadable brief; reference [1] is Bio Charge’s product information.
Hosted papers are unchanged originals, credited below. Author and publisher endorsement of SILARA N30 is not implied. Papers with restricted or unconfirmed republication rights remain linked at their source.
Journal of Nanoparticle Research 25, 40
© Spitzmüller L et al. 2023. Unchanged original. CC BY 4.0.
Polyhedron 12, 1007–1017
Read at the source; this paper is not republished here.
Plant Physiology 136, 3762–3770
Read at the source; this paper is not republished here.
Frontiers in Environmental Science 12, 1461477
© Uhuegbue PO, Stein M, Kalbitz K & Schaller J 2024. Unchanged original. CC BY 4.0.
Plant and Soil
© Petrin JE et al. 2026. Unchanged original. CC BY 4.0.
ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 6, 34–43
Read at the source; this paper is not republished here.
Journal of Plant Physiology 258–259, 153379
Read at the source; this paper is not republished here.
Environmental and Experimental Botany 198, 104849
Read at the source; this paper is not republished here.
Scientific Reports 6, 22882
© Chen D et al. 2016. Unchanged original. CC BY 4.0.
Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Hortorum Cultus 13, 171–183
Read at the source; this paper is not republished here.
PeerJ 13, e18944
© Mastalerczuk G et al. 2025. Unchanged original. CC BY 4.0.
Frontiers in Plant Science 7, 196
© Shi Y et al. 2016. Unchanged original. CC BY 4.0.
Silicon is the element Si. Silica is silicon dioxide, SiO₂. Colloidal silica is silica dispersed as particles in water; monosilicic acid, H₄SiO₄, is a dissolved silicon form that can be released as those particles dissolve. [2]
No. Reducing aluminium toxicity and changing phosphate binding are separate processes. Soil chemistry, pH, dose and mineral surfaces affect the result, so phosphorus availability and plant uptake need to be measured directly. [4] [5] [6] [7]
The research objective is to investigate access to, uptake of and movement of nutrients already present or supplied in a nutrient programme. A silicon response does not establish that the treatment provides P or K, or that either fertiliser can be reduced.
It provides a scientific basis for testing drought tolerance and recovery. The cited experiments used different formulations and growing conditions. Demonstrating a SILARA N30 benefit requires product-specific comparisons at practical rates. [12] [13]
The research library above includes six openly licensed PDFs hosted on biocharge.co.nz and original-source links for all 12 papers. The Bio Charge brief brings the findings and research targets together in one document.
Talk with Bio Charge about where SILARA N30 may fit in your programme and how to assess a useful response.