title: Supplemental selenium improves wheat grain yield and quality through alterations in biochemical processes under normal and water deficit conditions.
abstract: The paper mainly reported the effects of exogenous selenium (Se) supply (Se seed priming, Se fertigation and Se foliar spray) on physiological and antioxidant system of wheat aiming to clarify its effect on yield and nutritional quality of wheat under both normal and water deficit conditions. Water stress markedly decreased the grain Se, iron (Fe), phosphorous (P), zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg) contents. Supplemental Se (Na2SeO4) improved the yield and quality of water stressed plants due to enhancement in the production of osmoprotectants and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes. The foliar spray of Se was more effective than Se fertigation and Se seed treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first elaborate study that involved various Se application methods to evaluate the efficiency of Se supply to plants that would be crucial to develop better understanding of Se translocation and accumulation within crop plants under drought stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Physiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Electronic address: fahim5382@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fahim
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nawaz
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Physiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Physiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Waraich
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Physiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Shabbir
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Physiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bukhari
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D001669:Biochemical Phenomena; D055864:Droughts; D009753:Nutritive Value; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D018036:Selenium Compounds; D014867:Water; D012643:Selenium
keywords: Antioxidant system; Drought; Grain quality; Osmoprotectants; Selenium; Wheat