Journal of Soil and Plant Interactions
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soil and water
Abstract: (112 Views)
Sulfur, as an essential nutrient, and selenium in low concentrations as a beneficial element, are important for increasing plant tolerance to environmental stresses. This study investigated the effects of sulfur and selenium application on the absorption of these elements and their interaction on the growth indices of canola. The experiment was conducted in greenhouse conditions using a factorial design with 12 treatments and three replications. The experimental treatments included elemental sulfur at two levels (zero and 20 mg/kg, inoculated with Thiobacillus inoculum) and two sources of selenium fertilizer (sodium selenate and selenite) at three levels (zero, two, and four mg/l) applied as foliar spray. Results showed that selenium concentration in the grain was higher than in the shoot (0.395 vs. 0.251 mg/kg), but uptake in the shoot was higher than in the grain (2.52 vs. 1.2 μg/pot).Sulfur application significantly increased shoot dry weight (34%) and seed weight (89%) compared to the non-sulfur treatment. Selenium application from the selenate source, compared to selenite, resulted in higher selenium uptake in the shoot (2.71 vs. 2.33 μg/pot) and grain (1.39 vs. 1.01 μg/pot).For optimal canola growth, providing the appropriate amount of sulfur relative to selenium is crucial.
Keywords: Absorption, Interaction, Selenium, Shoot and grain, Sulfur, Transport index
Background and Objective: The cultivation area of canola (Brassica napus L.) has increased globally due to its climatic adaptability and its different growing season compared to other oilseeds. Additionally, its ability to be cropped in rotation with other plants, such as cereals, has contributed to its popularity. Proper consumption of nutrients is crucial for improving growth and increasing seed yield in canola plants. The use of sulfur as an essential nutrient, along with selenium in low concentrations as a beneficial nutrient, plays a significant role in enhancing plant tolerance to environmental stresses. This study aims to investigate the effects of sulfur and selenium application on nutrient absorption and their interaction on canola plant growth indices.
Methods: The experiment was conducted in greenhouse conditions as a factorial in a completely randomized design with 12 treatments and three replications. The experimental treatments included elemental sulfur fertilizer at two levels of zero and 20 mg kg-1 (inoculated with Thiobacillus inoculum), two sources of selenium fertilizer (sodium selenate and selenite) at three levels of zero, two and four mg l-1 applied as a foliar spray. The cultivated canola variety was Dalgan and grown in greenhouse conditions for 5 months. This cultivar is open-pollinated. The sulfur was in powder form with a purity of 99%, which was added to the soil of the sulfur-containing treatments, along with Thiobacillus inoculum (with a population of 1×108 cells per ml) two weeks before planting. Foliar application of selenium was carried out at the beginning of stem elongation (code 30 of the two-digit growth code of canola). After the seed maturation period (5 months, physiological maturity), the dry weight of the seed and the aerial parts of the plant was measured separately.
Results: The soil contained 3.8 mg kg-1 of available sulfur and 0.025 mg kg-1 of available selenium. The study found that selenium concentration in the grain was higher than in the shoot (0.395 vs. 0.251 mg kg-1), but selenium uptake in the shoot was higher than in the grain (2.52 vs. 1.2 μg pot-1). Additionally, the average concentration and uptake of sulfur in the shoot exceeded that in the seed. Application of sulfur led to significant increases in shoot dry weight, root dry weight, leaf area, and seed production in canola compared to conditions without sulfur (showing a 34% increase in shoot, 12.4% in root, 20.2% in leaf area, and 89% in seed). The correlation between root dry weight index and seed weight was stronger than that between shoot dry weight index and seed weight, emphasizing the importance of roots in producing viable seed in canola. Furthermore, applying selenium in the form of selenate resulted in higher selenium uptake in both the shoot (2.71 vs. 2.33 μg pot-1) and grain (1.39 vs. 1.01 μg pot-1) compared to selenite.
Conclusion: Providing the appropriate amount of sulfur relative to selenium is crucial for the growth of canola. In the non-stress conditions of this experiment, applying selenium did not significantly increase canola grain yield. However, when applied from a selenate source at a concentration of 4 g l-1, it did improve the concentration of selenium in the grain, making it suitable for grain enrichment purposes.
References:
- Liu, X., Yang, Y., Deng, X., Li, M., Zhang, W., Zhao, Z. 2017. Effects of sulfur and sulfate on selenium uptake and quality of seeds in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) treated with selenite and selenate. Environ. Exp. Bot. 135, 13-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2016.12.005.
- Abou Seeda M.A., Yassen A.A., Abou El-Nour E.A.A., Gad, Mervat M., Sahar M. 2020. The Essentiality of Selenium for Plants, and Their Role in Plant Physiology. A review. Middle East J. Agric. Res. 09 (01), 149-170. DOI: 10.36632/mejar/2020.9.1.15.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Availability of soil water and nutrients for plant
Received: 2025/02/28 | Accepted: 2025/07/15
Received: 2025/02/28 | Accepted: 2025/07/15
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Journal of Soil and Plant Interactions by http://jspi.iut.ac.ir is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License which allows users to read, copy, distribute and make derivative works for non-commercial purposes from the material, as long as the author of the original work is cited properly.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License which allows users to read, copy, distribute and make derivative works for non-commercial purposes from the material, as long as the author of the original work is cited properly.
