THE EFFECT OF SELENIUM ON SULFUR UPTAKE BY BARLEY AND RICE

Because of their chemical and physical similarities, plant uptake of S and Se are closely related. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) were grown in greenhouse solution culture to examine the synergistic interactions between SO4 and Se6+ in plant uptake. In the presence of low concentrations of solution SO4, shoot and root yields were decreased with additions of Se6+. However, when SO4 was present in elevated concentrations, no Se-induced yield reduction occurred. A synergistic interaction between SO4 and Se6+ caused an increase in the shoot S concentrations with increasing concentrations of Se6+ at low SO4 solution concentrations. At elevated SO4 concentrations, no synergism was osberved. Selenium had a lesser effect on the S concentration in plant roots. © 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers.