Selenium – Optimal utilization, no environmental harm!

Dep. of Plant and Environmental Sciences

Project leader: Trine A. Sogn
Co-workers: Susanne Eich-Greatorex, Anna Haug (IHA), Anne Falk Øgaard (BIOFORSK), Axel Bernhoft (Veterinærinst.), Oddvar Røyset (NIVA).
Source of funding: The Research Council of Norway.
Project period: 2003-2006.

The main objective: To give recommendations of agronomic management (content of soil organic matter, pH, water application, source of selenium fertilization) in order to get
1. Optimal utilization of the selenium applied
2. Optimal content of selenium in grain
3. Optimal uptake and utilization of selenium in the consumers
4. Minimum risk for uncontrolled mobilization of selenium in the soil

On basis of the significance of selenium for the health of humans and animals the low selenium availability in the Norwegian soils are alarming. Selenium is added to fodder in order to secure the animal needs. However, the low selenium content in Norwegian produced grains has particularly been stressed the past years since Norway steadily increase their self supply of wheat grain for bread production. The fertilizer company YARA recommend use of a selenium enriched NPK-fertilizer. Experiments have shown that only 5-30% of the applied selenium is taken up by the plants. Most probably the main part in accumulated in the organic rich upper part of the soil. In the present project we want to investigate the effects of changes in pH, redox potential, physical disturbance (ploughing) and source of selenium fertilizer (Inorganic/organic, in competition with other nutrients) on availability of the applied selenium and the amount of selenium accumulated in the soil after years with selenium application. The study also includes experiment with feeding of slaughter chickens in order to investigate weather different sources of Se (organic/inorganic) in feed grain involve different accumulation in the animal body. As the digestion of chicken is comparable with the human’s lines are drawn between results from this study and human selenium uptake from wheat used for bread baking.


Updated: 27.03.06
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