BIOFORTIFICATION OF WHEAT FLOUR WITH SELENIUM THROUGH FOLIAR APPLICATION OF WHEAT CROP

In Egypt, dietary selenium (Se) intake is below recommendation. Foliar fertilization with Se has been reported to increase the Se content in cereals. The main objective of this study was to increase the Se content in the wheat flour using Se foliar fertilization (as biofortification). Two field experiments were selected for the study (Station Farm at Mansoura and Kalabsho-Zayian region, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University) during the winter season of 2010/2011. Sodium selenate were foliar-applied at two different growth stages and different concentrations. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Foliar Fertilization of wheat crop with sodium selenite increased the Se content in the whole wheat flour, depending on the level and time of the addition The maximum Se content (22.2 ± 0.43 μg/100g) was found in wheat crop after spraying at 50 and 70 days from the agriculture, which is higher than the control sample level (1.9 ± 0.41 μg/100g DM). There was a relationship between the amount of Se applied to the wheat crop and the carry through/retention of Se in the downstream flour approximately linear indicating efficient incorporation and retention of Se in the wheat crop through to grain harvest and flour production.