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Can silicon help almonds resist pests and disease?
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Quick find: this post is based on the published summary (abstract) of the study, not the full paper.
Almond hulls have considerable nutritional value and can be used as livestock feed, but concerns about pesticide residues limit their use. A team including researchers from Federation University Australia argues that crop protection relying less on chemical pesticides is needed, and tested a potassium silicate mix applied through fertigation in a commercial almond orchard.
Silicon has been widely reported to enhance plant resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses, improve nutrient use and increase crop productivity. This team put that to the test in almonds (Prunus dulcis) over two growing seasons, measuring pest and disease damage, how the trees performed and how much kernel they produced (Udagepolage Don et al., 2026).
What this means for your grow
If you grow almonds commercially, this one is worth a look. The authors conclude that enhanced potassium silicate fertigation can improve pest and disease resistance while increasing kernel yield in commercial almond production. It was shown in one commercial orchard over two seasons, with the mix applied twice a season, so it is not a tested recipe for a backyard tree or for other crops.
What did they test and find?
- The mix: an enhanced potassium silicate formulation containing potassium silicate (50% w/v), amino acids (42% w/v), Complex Polymeric Poly-Hydroxy Acid, or CPPA (1.5% w/v), and water.
- How it went on: through fertigation, twice per season, at 30 L per hectare, compared with a grower-standard management program.
- Disease damage: silicon-treated trees had significantly lower levels of microbial disease damage in both leaves and mature nuts than untreated controls.
- Nut damage: across the two growing seasons, pest- and disease-related damage to nuts was reduced by up to 59%.
- Kernel weight: oven-dried kernel weight rose by 19% to 33% across the almond varieties evaluated.
- No downsides seen: no adverse effects were observed on flower-to-nut conversion, chlorophyll content, kernel nutritional quality or leaf nutrient status.
What could it mean?
The authors say the approach offers a promising strategy for reducing reliance on chemical pesticides, and for supporting the sustainable use of almond by-products, including as livestock feed and in bioenergy production. For now it is a result for commercial almond growers and researchers to weigh up. Keep in mind the mix held amino acids and CPPA as well as potassium silicate, and the abstract does not report testing those ingredients separately.
Trial details
- Who: The Future Regions Research Centre, Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability, Federation University Australia, Mount Helen, Ballarat, Victoria; one author also at RMIT University, Melbourne; and one at Ag Analytics, Carlton, Melbourne (the authors' affiliations).
- Where: a commercial almond orchard. The location of the orchard is not reported in the published abstract.
- Crop: almond (Prunus dulcis), more than one variety.
- How long: two consecutive growing seasons.
- Treatment: enhanced potassium silicate formulation (potassium silicate 50% w/v, amino acids 42% w/v, CPPA 1.5% w/v, water), applied through fertigation twice per season at 30 L ha−1.
- Comparison: the abstract describes it as a grower-standard management program, and the disease results as a comparison with untreated controls.
- Measured: pest and disease incidence, microbial disease damage in leaves and mature nuts, oven-dried kernel weight, flower-to-nut conversion, chlorophyll content, kernel nutritional quality and leaf nutrient status.
- Results: significantly lower microbial disease damage in leaves and mature nuts; pest- and disease-related nut damage reduced by up to 59% across the two seasons; oven-dried kernel weight up 19% to 33% across varieties; no adverse effects on the other measures.
- Funding: the Australian Government Research Training Program and Dual Chelate Fertilizer Pty Ltd, Australia, as listed in the paper's Crossref record.
- Publication: Horticulturae 12(7), 868, published 16 July 2026, https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070868. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
- Not reported in the published abstract: where the orchard is; the almond varieties; the years and the timing of the applications; the orchard's soil, irrigation system, climate and tree age; what the grower-standard program involved; which pests and diseases were found; the number of trees and replicates; the statistics; and conflicts of interest.
Links
- The study: Assessment of Enhanced Silicate Application for Improved Pest and Disease Resistance in Commercial Almond Production, Allowing for Sustainable Waste Management
- The institution: Future Regions Research Centre, Federation University Australia
References
- Udagepolage Don, M. N., Florentine, S., Turville, C., & Dassanayake, K. (2026). Assessment of enhanced silicate application for improved pest and disease resistance in commercial almond production, allowing for sustainable waste management. Horticulturae, 12(7), 868. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12070868