Selenium absorption by two-grooved milkvetch and western wheatgrass from selenomethio- nine, selenocystine, and selenite

Selenium (Se) occurs in various forms in soils, including inorganic selenite and selenate and organic selenomethionine. Plant uptake of the inorganic, but not the organic forms, has been studied extensively. Organic-Se uptake was therefore examined in two-grooved milkvetch (Astragalus bisulcatus (Hook.) Gray), a Se-accumulating forb, and western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum (Rydb.) Love), a non-Se accumulating grass. Plants were grown for 56 days in nutrient culture enriched with 1 or 2 mg Se literl as sodium selenite or 0.3 or 0.6 mg Se liter1 as Se-DLmethionine or Se-DL-cystine. Growth was not affected by the Se treatments. Selenium concentrations in shoots were proportional to nutrient-solution concentrations for both species grown in sodium selenite and selenocystine, and for wheatgrass when grown in selenomethionine. Selenium concentrations in milkvetch were Authors acknowledge the laboratory assistance of A.R. Florence and S.B. Hansen and statistical assistance of B.E. Mackey and G.E. Shewmaker. The mention of a trade name does not imply endorsement by the USDA-ARS. Manuscript accepted 20 September 1991. not increased by the higher concentration of selenomethionine. Shoots of milkvetch, growing in the low-Se treatment contained 243, 283, and 47 mg Se g-1 , for the sodium selenite, selenomethionine, and selenocystine treatments, respectively, whereas values for the wheatgrass were 20, 32, and 17. Shoot:root Se concentrations were 1.2, 0.7, and 0.4 in milkvetch and 0.1, 0.5, and 0.1 in wheatgrass for the sodium selenite, selenomethionine, and selenocystine, respectively. Selenium is more readily transported to shoots in the accumulator plant, or conversely; there is a barrier to Se movement to shoots in the nonaccumulator plant. Wheatgrass contained sufficient Se to be of concern in animal toxicosis and because of greater dry matter yield accumulated as much or more Se than did the milkvetch.