Silicon Improves Maize Photosynthesis in Saline-Alkaline Soils

Table 5

Effects of silicon on intercellular CO₂ concentration () in leaves of maize.

Growth stages	Intercellular CO2 concentration () (μmo1⋅mol^−1)
	T1	T2	T3	T4	T5
Big trumpet stage	139.10 ± 1.73^d	138.23 ± 2.02^d	157.32 ± 1.35^c	162.95 ± 2.13^b	175.68 ± 2.23^a
Silking stage	116.82 ± 1.69^d	120.36 ± 1.86^d	136.20 ± 1.57^c	140.85 ± 1.86^b	152.61 ± 1.75^a
Grain filling stage	103.73 ± 1.93^d	108.92 ± 1.70^d	118.36 ± 2.33^c	131.25 ± 1.78^b	140.62 ± 1.66^a
Milk stage	106.90 ± 1.28^d	112.78 ± 1.66^d	121.32 ± 1.51^c	134.25 ± 1.36^b	142.83 ± 1.92^a

Means (±SD) labeled with different letters within each column are significantly different () by Duncan’s test, .