Agronomic biofortification with selenium impacts storage proteins in grains of upland rice

© 2019 Society of Chemical Industry BACKGROUND: Selenium (Se) is an essential element for humans and animals. Rice is one of the most commonly consumed cereals in the world, so the agronomic biofortification of cereals with Se may be a good strategy to increase the levels of daily intake of Se by the population. This study evaluated the agronomic biofortification of rice genotypes with Se and its effects on grain nutritional quality. Five rates of Se (0, 10, 25, 50, and 100 g ha−1) were applied as selenate via the soil to three rice genotypes under field conditions. RESULTS: Selenium concentrations in the leaves and polished grains increased linearly in response to Se application rates. A highly significant correlation was observed between the Se rates and the Se concentration in the leaves and grains, indicating high translocation of Se. The application of Se also increased the concentration of albumin, globulin, prolamin, and glutelin in polished grains. CONCLUSION: Biofortifying rice genotypes using 25 g Se ha−1 could increase the average daily Se intake from 4.64 to 66 μg day−1. Considering that the recommended daily intake of Se by adults is 55 μg day−1, this agronomic strategy could contribute to alleviating widespread Se malnutrition. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

Synergistic Effects of Subsoil Calcium in Conjunction with Nitrogen on the Root Growth and Yields of Maize and Soybeans in a Tropical Cropping System

A large part of Brazilian maize is double-cropped after soybeans, when water shortages are very frequent. A larger root system can mitigate drought stress and enable better nitrogen (N) use. Alleviating acidity and applying gypsum can increase root growth and N-use efficiency in maize, which has a more aggressive root system than soybeans. However, it is not known how these factors interact in integrated cropping systems, or how soybeans respond to them. Soybean and maize root growth and grain yields as affected by soil Ca enrichment using lime and gypsum, along with the N rates applied to maize intercropped with Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus), were assessed in a medium-term field experiment. Liming resulted in greater root growth for both crops; however, when lime was used in conjunction with gypsum, root growth was further enhanced. The total maize grain yield was 35% higher compare to the control when gypsum was used in conjunction with lime; however, subsoil Ca enrichment increased the total soybean grain yield by 8% compared to the control. Nitrogen fertilization increased the total maize grain yield by 36%, with a more expressive increase when applying 160 kg ha−1 or more, and despite a positive effect on soybean grain yields in the long term, this response seems not to be a direct effect of the N applied to the maize. Both subsoil Ca enrichment and N application to maize increase root growth and the total yield of the system

Productive and Physico-Chemical Parameters of Tomato Fruits Submitted to Fertigation Doses with Water Treated with Very Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Resonance Fields

It is known that poorly performed fertigation directly impacts on tomato production and biometric components. In addition, consumers are also affected by interrelated characteristics that interfere with the acceptability of the fruit, such as the physicochemical parameters and nutrients in the fruit. Thus, eco-friendly technologies, such as irrigation with ultra-low frequency electromagnetic treated-water, which attenuates the inadequate management of fertigation, are essential to improve marketable fruit yields. Thus, the objective of the present work was to investigate the impact of treated water with very low-frequency electromagnetic resonance fields in physical, chemical and nutritional parameters at different nutrient solution strengths in tomato fruits. In this study, experiments were carried out in randomized blocks and five doses of fertigation were used (1.5; 2.5; 4.0; 5.5; and 7.0 dS m−1), employing two types of water: electromagnetically treated and untreated. It can be seen that the fertigation affected some parameters, mainly the number of fruits with blossom-end rot, fruit size, and weight. Variance analysis (ANOVA) was performed with the subsequent use of the Tukey test. In all statistical tests, a confidence level of 95% was considered. The soluble solids content increased by 28% as a function of the fertigation doses. The electromagnetically treated water reduced the number of fruits with blossom-end rot by 35% (p < 0.05). Overall, electromagnetic water improved the physicochemical quality parameters and the nutritional status of tomato fruits. Thus, this study demonstrated that green technology could leverage tomato fruit production and quality