https://www.greenhousemag.com/article/gmpro-0610-silicon-plant-growth/

I also see it first hand. I now let my plants go completely dry before watering, without any worries of them shriveling up. Maybe not the best example. But the secret of silica has been known to farmers way before the science. Surprisingly, since there are many myths in growing, such as flushing, watering your plants with ice water at the end to bring out trichomes.