Effects of foliar application of selenate and selenite at different growth stages on Selenium accumulation and speciation in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Since the potato is a new staple food in China, the production of selenium (Se)-enriched potato may be an effective approach for Se supplementation in Se-deficient populations. Herein, we biofortified potato via the foliar application of sodium selenate and sodium selenite at three growth stages and investigated the resulting Se contents and speciation. Results showed that selenate was more efficient than selenite in improving total Se, and the highest tuber Se concentration was obtained at the tuber bulking stage. However, the accumulation of inorganic Se was higher in tubers treated with selenate (31.9% of total Se) compared with the selenite treatment (1.5%). The major Se species in tubers treated with both selenite and selenate was selenomethionine, which accounted for similar to 80.0% and similar to 50.0% of total Se, respectively. The findings suggest that the foliar application of selenite during the tuber bulking stage is appropriate for the production of Se-rich potatoes.