Effect of Selenium on Growth, Physiological Aspects and Productivity of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.)

THIS WORK was conducted during the two successive winter seasons of 2014/2015 and 2015 / 2016 at the Agricultural Experiments and Researches Station (Ghazala Fann), Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University , Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, to study the effect of foliar spray with selenium at concentrations of 0, 2.5, 5, 10,15 and 20 ppm on growth, chemical composition, yield as well as anatomy of stem and leaves of faba bean cv. Giza 716. The experimental results showed that foliar application with 20 ppm selenium showed no effect on vegetative growth , yield components ,seed quality, photosynthetic pigments (chl a, chl b, total chl and carotenoids) concentration, carbohydrates fractions , minerals and crude protein percentage. Foliar application with 10 ppm selenium significant improvement effects on vegetative growth , yield, seed quality, photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrates fractions, minerals and crude protein percentage of faba bean cv. Giza 716. Foliar application with 10 ppm selenium induced favorable enhancement in anatomical feature of stem and leaves. Exogenous application of selenium also induced prominent increase in diameter of stem, thickness of cortex, number of cortical layers, average length and width of vascular bundle, average vessels number per vascular bundle and average diameter of vessel . Likewise, increased thickness of both midvein and lamina, increased thickness of mesophyll size of midvein bundle, length and width of midvein bundle and vessel diameter were increased as a result of spraying selenium.