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Plant Selenium from Soil and the Atmosphere.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal article

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>1995
<mark>Journal</mark>Journal of Environmental Quality
Issue number4
Volume24
Number of pages4
Pages (from-to)768-771
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Transfer of selenium (Se) to pasture is important for prevention of Se deficiency in livestock, yet little is known about the relative importance of inputs to pasture from soil and the atmosphere. An isotope dilution method was used to assess quantitatively the importance of these inputs to ryegrass. Soil was labelled with 75Se and subjected to two field treatments that were untreated (pH 6.0) and limed (pH 7.0). After an initial period of equilibration, the specific activity of Se associated with unwashed leaves became lower than that of soil. This indicated that atmospheric Se had been deposited onto and possibly incorporated into the ryegrass. The percent contribution of 75Se in pasture leaves derived from the soil was 47% (pH 6.0) and 70% (pH 7.0), with, by inference, the remainder coming from the atmosphere.