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Plant Selenium from Soil and the Atmosphere
Author(s) -
Haygarth Philip M.,
Harrison Anthony F.,
Jones Kevin C.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1995.00472425002400040030x
Subject(s) - pasture , atmosphere (unit) , selenium , isotope dilution , chemistry , environmental chemistry , agronomy , environmental science , soil water , soil science , biology , geography , meteorology , mass spectrometry , organic chemistry , chromatography
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 75 Se 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 75 Se 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.