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Silicon Fertilizer Market Overview
Silicon fertilizer market size is forecast to reach US$1.9 billion by 2027, after growing at a CAGR of 3.9% during 2022-2027. Silicon fertilizers such as calcium silicate, potassium silicate, and more are deployed in agriculture activities for various applications including foliar spray and soil amendment to enhance growth and yield of all annual and vegetable crops by enabling upright growth. Silicone fertilizer is significant in agriculture because it enables crops to have stronger and thicker stems, shorter internodes, and reduced water lodging. The silicon fertilizer market is majorly driven by the growth of field crops production such as coarse grains, wheat, rice, and more. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in the year 2020, the global coarse grains production was 1,434 million metric tons, and in 2021 it was 1,498.9 million metric tons, an increase of 4.5%. Additionally, such growth is also showcased for horticulture crops, which is further benefiting the silicon fertilizer industry growth.
COVID-19 Impact
The Covid-19 pandemic hampered the growth of the silicon fertilizer market because in 2020 governments all across the world imposed stringent lockdown measures. As a result during the starting months of 2020, there was a decline in the production of field crops, horticulture crops, and other similar crop types. For instance, according to the statistics released by the US Department of Agriculture, in March 2019, the production of wheat in Australia was about 17 million metric tons and in March it was 15.2 million metric tons, a decline of 12%. Furthermore, Thailand's rice production in April 2019 was 20.16 million metric tons and in April 2020 it was around 18 million metric tons, a decline of about 12% from April 2019. Similarly, in other countries also a declining field crop production, owing to which the silicon fertilizer manufacturers suffered losses. However, in 2021 with the ease of lockdown related regulation, there was growth related to the production of crops, which propelled the growth of the silicon fertilizer market. Moreover, it is forecasted that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic will be gradually decreasing during the upcoming years, which will result in the silicon fertilizer industry growth outlook similar to pre-Covid time.
Report Coverage
The "Silicon Fertilizer Market Report –Forecast (2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Silicon Fertilizer Industry.
Key Takeaways
- Asia-Pacific region dominated the silicon fertilizer market, owing to the increasing food crop production in the region. For instance, to the US Department of Agriculture, in 2020, the total wheat production in China was 134.3 million metric tons, and in 2021 it was 136.9 million metric tons, an increase of 1.6%.
- The increasing research and development associated with farming techniques such as hydroponics, floriculture, and more for increasing crop productivity are creating an opportunity for the silicon fertilizer market growth.
- Furthermore, the increasing crop production within the same area of arable land is surging the demand for silicon fertilizers to increase the crop yield, which is further propelling the silicon fertilizer market growth.
- However, the availability of substitutes such as bio-based fertilizers, lime sulfur, and more is creating a bottleneck for the growth of the silicon fertilizer market.
Silicon Fertilizer Market Segment Analysis – By Type
The synthetic segment held the largest share in the silicon fertilizer market in 2021 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2022-to 2027. Synthetic silicon fertilizers such as potassium silicate, sodium silicate, and more are composed of synthetic materials and consist of inorganic substances and chemicals. They are highly beneficial for soil amendment application because their use in soil provides resistance to bacterial and fungal diseases. The key advantage of synthetic silicon fertilizer over natural silicon fertilizer including calcium silicate is that they immediately supply the essential nutrients directly to the soil, which prevents the decline in yield production. Thus, due to these factors, the demand for synthetic silicone fertilizer is increasing, which is benefiting the segmental growth of the market.
Silicon Fertilizer Market Segment Analysis – By Crop Type
The field crop segment held the largest share in the silicon fertilizer market in 2021 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% during 2022-2027. The silicon fertilizer is used in the field crops such as wheat, rice, and more in the soil amendment application. The utilization of silicon is crucial because it is an important micronutrient for crops to make them stronger and healthier. The surging field crop production at the global level is benefiting the growth of the silicon fertilizer demand. For instance, according to the US Department of Agriculture, in 2020 the total food crop production at the global level was 2,719.7 million metric tons, and in 2021 it was 2,791.5 million metric tons, an increase of 2.76%. Hence, the growing field crop production at the global level is expected to fuel the demand for silicon fertilizer, which is further accelerating the silicon fertilizer market growth.
Silicon Fertilizer Market Segment Analysis – By Geography
Asia-Pacific region is the dominating region as it holds the largest share in the Silicon Fertilizer market in 2021 up to 38%. The agriculture sector is the key sector of the Asia-Pacific region. This is to create more food reserves and enable food security for uncertain environmental conditions. For enabling food safety the production of food crops, cash crops, and more is increasing in the Asia-Pacific region. For instance, according to the US Department of Agriculture, in 2020 the total food crop production in Asia-pacific was about 998.8 million metric tons, and in 2021 it was about1026.7 million metric tons, an increase of about 2.8%. Moreover, in 2020 the total oilseed crops production in the Asia-Pacific region was about 127.6 million metric tons, and in 2021 it was about 131 million metric tons, an increase of about 2.7%. Therefore, the increasing food and cash crop production in the Asia-Pacific region is projected to boost the demand for silicon fertilizer, this, in turn, will propel the silicon fertilizer market growth.
Silicon Fertilizer MarketDrivers
Surging Horticulture Production
Silicon fertilizer for horticulture crops improves crop metabolism and leaf chlorophyll content while also reducing nutrient imbalances and metal toxicity. It strengthens the fruits and vegetables by making them more resistant to environmental challenges like salt, drought, and frost, as well as protecting them from infections and insects. As a result, the horticulture crop is protected from the degrading environmental impact as well as expands higher yield production. The production of horticulture crops is increasing at the global level to encourage nutritional security. For instance, according to the European Union, in 2020 the production of the fruits in the European Union countries was about 36.8 million metric tons, and out of this apples and pears production was the highest 14.3 million metric tons, which was about 38.9% of the production of the total fruit. Additionally, according to the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, in 2019, India’s total vegetable production was 191.8 million metric tons, which was about 4.7% higher when compared with the year 2018. As a result of the increasing horticulture crops production, it is forecasted that the silicon fertilizer market will further grow.
Increasing Crop Production Within the Same Area of Arable Land
For higher crop production within the same cultivable land, silicon fertilizer plays a crucial role by protecting the crops from higher exposure to the light, providing resistance to bacterial and fungal diseases, and more, owing to which it is often used during crop production. The agricultural growth has accelerated in recent years, but the majority of this expansion has been driven by a higher yield per unit area rather than a greater cultivated area. Looking ahead to 2030, it is recommended that annual crop production and yield be increased within the same amount of arable land. For instance, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in 2021-2030, global agricultural production is predicted to increase by roughly 9% for wheat and other coarse grains, which will be on the same area of arable land. To boost crop output within the same area of arable land and provide crops with sufficient nutrients, the need for silicon fertilizer will rise significantly, driving market expansion throughout the projection period.
Silicon Fertilizer Market Challenges
Availability of Substitute Products
The silicon fertilizer is used in the foliar spray application to prevent the roots of the crops from the toxicity of iron, aluminum, and manganese, this results in enhanced yield production. However, the increasing bio and natural fertilizer markets, on the other hand, are the primary restraints facing the silicon fertilizer industry. Silicon fertilizers are chemical fertilizers that are damaging to both the environment and the people who use them. Silicon fertilizers are harmful to humans and animals when they invade their interior organs, causing disease and death. Furthermore, silicon fertilizers have been associated with pollution and yield adulteration. Furthermore, due to its high PH level, silica is not used in hydroponics crop cultivation. Thereby, the increased adoption of biofertilizers as chemical-free alternatives is limiting the market's potential.
Silicon Fertilizer Industry Outlook
Technology launches, acquisitions, and increased R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the Silicon fertilizer market. Silicon fertilizer top 10 companies are:
- Plant Tuff Inc.
- Agripower
- Maxsil (Silicon Fertilisers Pty Ltd)
- Denka Co. Ltd.
- Redox Pty Ltd.
- Aries Agro Ltd.
- BASF SE
- Compass Minerals International, Inc.
- The Mosaic Company
- Yara International ASA
Recent Developments
- In April 2021, Levity Crop Science, a leading agricultural innovator, launched Zeme, a newly invented silicon fertilizer with greater mobility that enables better performance than existing silicon products.
- In January 2020, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited, a fertilizer manufacturer based in India launched a new product named “Soluble Silicon Fertilizer”.
- In November 2019, Agripower, a global manufacturer of silicon fertilizer in partnership with Siemens installed cutting-edge technologies at the Charters Towers manufacturing facility in Queensland, Australia for the manufacturing of silicon fertilizer.
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