Work

Biomass, Physiological, and Antioxidant Activity Responses of Wheat Plants After Selenium Foliar Spray Under Water Deficit

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The ability of selenium (Se) to trigger modifications in plant metabolism, thereby triggering tolerance to abiotic stresses, is well established. This research aimed to understand the following: (1) how Se supplementation in wheat plants can lead to beneficial Se concentrations in grains and straw; (2) whether the applied Se concentrations have any negative impacts on plant performance; and (3) if Se can aid wheat development under water-limited conditions. To address this, we evaluated the physiological, biochemical, and morphological effects of foliar Se application on wheat plants subjected to well-watered (WW, full irrigation) and water-deficit (WD, 25% of full irrigation) regimes. Three foliar concentrations of sodium selenate (Se) solution (0, 16, and 160 g ha−1 Se) were tested. Under WW, treatment with 160 g/ha leads to the highest Se content in straw (4253 ± 171 µg plant−1), enhanced straw biomass accumulation, and increased total soluble sugar content. WW plants treated with 16 g/ha Se were found to have the highest amounts of photosynthetic pigments and total soluble proteins. Under WD, Se treatments increased spike length, total phenols, and ortho-diphenols when compared to Se-untreated plants. In general, Se treatments increased the Se contents in both straw and grains, but with a noticeably higher accumulation in straw. Altogether, the results suggest that foliar application of 160 g/ha Se, under irrigation, is a promissory approach to enhance Se content in bread wheat.

Source: Agriculture

DOI: 10.3390/agriculture15101086