Springer Selenium Supplementation in Horticultural Crops

Selenium plays a significant role in preventing certain types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The level of Selenium in the human body depends on its concentration in food. In turn, the content in vegetable crops is a function of the soil-plant system. There are many countries in the world with low Selenium content in the soil. The average daily human intake is thus limited through food chain.  Analysis of Selenium status suggests that fortification of the soil substrate with Sodium Selenate, and foliar application to agricultural crops are both effective means of Selenium enrichment. Our intention for this publication is to present the possibilities of augmenting Selenium content by biofortification of soils and plants through differentiated nutrition. In the first part of the monograph, the results of Selenium supplementation in model vegetation experiments are presented. The next part of the monograph presents the results of foliar supplementation of Selenium in field conditions. This book is an outstanding reference source for plant breeders and researchers engaged in biofortification of horticulture crops. It is also beneficial to agricultural companies and other stakeholders. From the Back Cover Selenium plays a significant role in preventing certain types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The level of Selenium in the human body depends on its concentration in food. In turn, the content in vegetable crops is a function of the soil-plant system. There are many countries in the world with low Selenium content in the soil. The average daily human intake is thus limited through food chain.  Analysis of Selenium status suggests that fortification of the soil substrate with Sodium Selenate, and foliar application to agricultural crops are both effective means of Selenium enrichment. Our intention for this publication is to present the possibilities of augmenting Selenium content by biofortification of soils and plants through differentiated nutrition. In the first part of the monograph, the results of Selenium supplementation in model vegetation experiments are presented. The next part of the monograph presents the results of foliar supplementation of Selenium in field conditions. This book is an outstanding reference source for plant breeders and researchers engaged in biofortification of horticulture crops. It is also beneficial to agricultural companies and other stakeholders. About the Author Prof. RNDr. Alžbeta Hegedűsová, PhD. is a full professor at the Department of Vegetable Production at the Slovak University of Agriculture. In her professional career, as she worked at the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra (Department of Chemistry) and at the Slovak University of Agriculture, she has been project leader and co-worker in 40 research and educational projects. Her research activities have been focused on the research of toxic effects of inorganic contaminants in the soil-plant system to verify the possibilities of their intake elimination by horticultural crops with the use of phytoremediation techniques. Another field of research interest has been devoted to the solution of insufficiency of bioactive substances via differentiation of mineral nutrition (especially Selenium) in the horticultural crops leading to increase the level of the substances in the agricultural products. The topic has been elaborated in original research studies published in  35 papers foreign and Slovak journals within the Web of Science and Scopus databases, 60 papers in the foreign and Slovak journals, 110 proceedings in the foreign and Slovak proceeding books and conferences. She is a co-author of 3 university textbooks, 5 monographs and 7 students textbooks. She has been a supervisor of 8 doctoral theses.