Plant availability of soil selenate additions and selenium distribution within wheat and ryegrass

• Published in: Plant and soil 2010-08, Vol.333 (1/2), p.301-313
• Main Authors: Keskinen, Riikka, Turakainen, Marja, Hartikainen, Helinä
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural site preparation; Agricultural soils; Agrology; Agronomy; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Ecology; Environmental monitoring; Fertilizers; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Grasses; Life Sciences; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plants; Regular Article; Salts; Sand; Selenium; Silty soils; Soil salts; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Soils; Sowing; Wheat; Wheat soils
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-010-0345-y

Selenate fertilization is an effective way to secure selenium (Se) nutrition in Se-poor areas but the cycling of the added selenate in the soil-plant system requires further clarification. We examined the Se uptake efficiency of wheat and ryegrass and Se distribution within these plants in two pot experiments. The behaviour of added selenate in a sand soil under wheat was monitored by sequential extractions during a ten-week growing period. In addition, the relationship between Se uptake of ryegrass and the salt extractable and ligand exchangeable Se in a sand and silty clay soil were studied. The added selenate remained mainly salt soluble in the soil throughout the monitoring. Se uptake by wheat comprised 12% of the soluble Se pool in soil and extended over the whole period of growth. In wheat, over 50% of Se accumulated in grains. The Se uptake of ryegrass comprised, on average, 40% of the soil salt soluble Se. In ryegrass, over 80% of the Se accumulated in roots. The distribution pattern of Se in plants can clearly have a major influence on both the Se cycle in soil and the nutritional efficiency of Se fertilization. The simple salt extraction showed fertilizationinduced changes in the soluble soil Se pool, whereas the ligand exchangeable Se fraction reflected the difference in the nonlabile Se status between the two soils.