Affiliation:
1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology Nanjing China
2. College of Resource and Environment Anhui Science and Technology University Chuzhou China
3. Yangtze River Delta Functional Agricultural (Food) Research Institute Anhui Science and Technology University Chuzhou China
4. Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Functional Agriculture and Functional Food Anhui Science and Technology University Chuzhou China
5. USDA Agricultural Research Service San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center Parlier CA USA
6. School of Environmental Science and Engineering Suzhou University of Science and Technology Suzhou China
7. School of Earth and Space Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China
8. School of Food Engineering Anhui Science and Technology University Bengbu China
Abstract
AbstractBACKGROUNDDietary selenium (Se) deficiency, stemming from low Se concentrations in agricultural products, threatens human health. While Se‐containing fertilizers can enhance the Se content in crops, the key factors governing Se biofortification with Se fertilization remain unclear.RESULTSThis study constructed a global meta‐analysis dataset based on field experiments comprising 364 entries on Se content in agricultural products and 271 entries on their yield. Random forest models and mixed effects meta‐analyses revealed that plant types (i.e., cereals, vegetables, legumes, and forages) primarily influenced Se biofortification, with Se fertilization rates being the next significant factor. The random forest model, which included variables like plant types, Se fertilization rates, methods and types of Se application, initial soil conditions (including Se content, organic carbon content, and pH), soil types, mean annual precipitation, and temperature, explained 82.14% of the variation in Se content and 48.42% of the yield variation in agricultural products. For the same agricultural products, the increase in Se content decreased with higher rates of Se fertilization. The increase in Se content in their edible parts will be negligible for cereals, forages, legumes, and vegetable crops, when Se fertilization rates were 164, 103, 144, and 147 g Se ha−1, respectively. Conversely, while low Se fertilization rates enhanced yields, high rates led to a yield reduction, particularly in cereals.CONCLUSIONOur findings highlight the need for balanced and precise Se fertilization strategies to optimize Se biofortification benefits and minimize the risk of yield reduction. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.