Effects of Different Rates of Selenium Fertilizer and Cow Manure on Selenium Uptake in Festuca arundinacea

Abstract

<span>One of the crucial elements for livestock and human nutrition is selenium and its deficiency or toxicity can harm human and livestock health. The present study is designed with the aim of studying the effect of different levels of selenium fertilizer (Selcote-Ultra) and cow manure on the uptake of selenium in tall fescue. For this purpose, a pot experiment with complete randomized block design in the form of a factorial experiment was carried out on a single soil sample with the cultivation of <em>Festuca arundinacea</em> (Tall fescue), five levels of selenium fertilizer (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 g.ha^-1), and two levels of cow manure (Zero and 100 tons per hectare) with three replications during the 2014-2015. The result of means comparison showed that the uptake of selenium during three harvests was affected by different levels of selenium fertilizer and cow manure. With increasing selenium rates, selenium uptake in the plant aerial parts in all three harvests raised significantly (p<0.05). Selenium uptake for the cattle in all treatments except for the control treatment in all three harvests was in the optimal range, therefore the treatment of 5 g.ha^-1 selenium could be used as a suitable treatment for providing cattle and human demands with selenium, because its application is more economical in comparison to treatments of 10, 20, and 40 g.ha^-1. With increasing cow manure application, selenium uptake in tall fescue in all three harvests revealed a significant decrease (p<0.05) which is due to dilution effect and the organic material role in selenium absorption.</span>