Lush garden glowing with health thanks to silicic acid.

Unlock Your Plant's Potential: The Power of Stabilized Silicic Acid

Elliot Brynn in Science & Nature June 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover how foliar sprays with stabilized silicic acid can revolutionize your gardening and farming practices, leading to healthier, more productive plants."

Silicon (Si), though abundant in the earth's crust, often remains locked away in forms that plants can't readily use. This can lead to deficiencies, hindering growth and making plants more susceptible to stress. While traditional silicon fertilizers exist, a newer approach using stabilized silicic acid (sSA) promises better results.

The Silicic Acid Agro Technology (SAAT) involves applying sSA directly to plants, either as a foliar spray or soil amendment. Unlike conventional methods that rely on the slow conversion of silicon into a usable form, sSA delivers it directly, leading to faster and more efficient uptake.

This article will dive into the research surrounding sSA foliar sprays, particularly an overview of results from 2003 to 2014. We'll explore how sSA can improve growth, yield, and quality in various crops, offering a practical solution for gardeners and farmers looking to boost their plant's performance.

The Science Behind Stabilized Silicic Acid

Lush garden glowing with health thanks to silicic acid.

Monosilicic acid (Si(OH)4) is the only form of silicon that plants can absorb. However, it's inherently unstable, quickly polymerizing into forms that are no longer bioavailable. Factors like interactions with heavy metals can further reduce its solubility. This is where stabilized silicic acid (sSA) comes in. The stabilization process prevents polymerization, keeping the silicon in a plant-available form. sSA is produced by a patented production process, where the polymerization is prevented. This creates mono, oligomeric, or microcolloidal SA.

Traditional silicon fertilizers, such as silicates and diatomaceous earth, act as indirect sources. They require conversion into monosilicic acid before plants can use them. This conversion process can be slow and inefficient. With sSA, plants receive the silicon directly, bypassing this conversion step and leading to quicker results. Once absorbed, silicic acid strengthens plant tissues by:

Polymerizing into amorphous silica.
Depositing in cell walls and intracellular spaces.
Increasing tissue strength in leaves and stems.
Contributing to overall plant rigidity.

Research has shown that plants treated with sSA exhibit a range of beneficial effects, making them more resilient and productive.

The Future of Plant Nutrition: Embracing Stabilized Silicic Acid

Stabilized Silicic Acid Agro Technology (SAAT) presents a promising path forward for enhancing plant health and productivity. By directly providing plants with bioavailable silicon, sSA foliar sprays offer a more efficient and effective alternative to traditional silicon fertilizers. As research continues to unveil the full potential of sSA, it's poised to play a key role in sustainable agriculture and gardening practices, helping us grow healthier plants with less environmental impact. Further research is needed to understand the modes of action of SAAT.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1007/s12633-016-9466-0, Alternate LINK

Title: The Effects Of The Application Of Foliar Sprays With Stabilized Silicic Acid: An Overview Of The Results From 2003-2014

Subject: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

Journal: Silicon

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Henk-Maarten Laane

Published: 2016-12-21

Everything You Need To Know

Why is it necessary to stabilize silicic acid for effective plant use?

Stabilized silicic acid (sSA) is crucial because it provides silicon in a form that plants can directly absorb, unlike traditional silicon fertilizers that require conversion into monosilicic acid. This direct availability bypasses the slow and inefficient conversion process, allowing plants to quickly utilize the silicon for strengthening cell walls and improving overall rigidity. Without stabilization, monosilicic acid polymerizes into forms that are not bioavailable, rendering the silicon useless to the plant. Stabilized silicic acid ensures the silicon remains in a plant-available form, maximizing its benefits.

How does the Silicic Acid Agro Technology (SAAT) compare to using traditional silicon fertilizers?

Silicic Acid Agro Technology (SAAT) offers a more efficient method of delivering silicon to plants compared to traditional silicon fertilizers. Traditional methods rely on the slow conversion of silicon into monosilicic acid, the only form plants can absorb. SAAT, however, directly provides stabilized silicic acid (sSA), bypassing this conversion and leading to faster uptake. This direct approach results in improved plant growth, yield, and quality, making SAAT a superior choice for gardeners and farmers aiming to boost plant performance. Further research is needed to fully understand how SAAT works.

How exactly do foliar sprays of stabilized silicic acid (sSA) strengthen plant tissues, and what are the implications for plant health?

Stabilized silicic acid (sSA) foliar sprays enhance plant tissue strength by polymerizing into amorphous silica and depositing in cell walls and intracellular spaces. This process increases tissue strength in leaves and stems, contributing to overall plant rigidity and resilience. The strengthened tissues make plants more resistant to environmental stresses, such as drought, heat, and pest infestations. Additionally, the increased rigidity supports better growth and higher yields. Other nutrients like nitrogen and potassium contribute to plant growth but do not specifically target tissue strengthening in the same way as sSA.

Is it better to apply stabilized silicic acid (sSA) as a foliar spray or directly to the soil, and why?

While foliar sprays of stabilized silicic acid (sSA) offer numerous benefits, soil application can also be effective. The choice depends on various factors, including the type of plant, soil conditions, and specific goals. Foliar sprays provide a quick and direct way for plants to absorb silicon, leading to rapid improvements in growth and resilience. Soil application, on the other hand, can provide a more sustained release of silicon, benefiting long-term plant health. The Silicic Acid Agro Technology (SAAT) encompasses both foliar and soil amendment methods, allowing for tailored approaches to plant nutrition.

Why is the period from 2003 to 2014 specifically mentioned in relation to researching stabilized silicic acid (sSA), and what does this timeframe signify?

The timeframe of 2003 to 2014 is significant because it represents a period of intensive research into the effects of stabilized silicic acid (sSA) on plant growth, yield, and quality. The research provided valuable insights into how sSA can improve growth, yield, and quality in various crops, offering a practical solution for gardeners and farmers looking to boost their plant's performance. Although the research provides a foundation, further research beyond 2014 is necessary to continue improving SAAT.