Effect of foliar application of Se on growth, antioxidant defense and grain Se in two cultivars of spring wheat plants

In this study، the influence of foliar application of Na2SeO3 (1. 5، 10 and 100 mg l-1) on some physiological parameters was investigated in two cultivars of spring wheat. Results indicated that application of selenium (Se) increased biomass accumulation in Zagros and Chamran cultivars. The highest content of Se in grain (1. 01 mg kg-1 DW in Zagros and 0. 465 mg kg-1 DW in Chamran) was detected under application of 10 mg Se l-1. Concentrations of malondoialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) remained unchanged in Se-supplemented plants obviously because of an efficient scavenging following significant enhancement of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. These results suggest that foliar applications at 10 mg Se l-1 alleviate oxidative stress and cause a significantly higher growth rate in both cultivars. In addition، our results indicated that Se can be used for biofortification of wheat grains thus، for increasing dietary Se intake in human.