Selenium concentrations of common weeds and agricultural crops grown in the seleniferous soils of northwestern India Original Research Article

The plants grown in seleniferous soils constitute a major source of toxic selenium levels in the food chain of animals and human beings. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to study selenium concentrations of weeds, forages and cereals grown on seleniferous soils located between 31.0417° to 31.2175° N and 76.1363° to 76.4147° E in northwestern India. Eleven winter season (November–April) weed plants were grown in the greenhouse in a soil treated with different levels of selenate-Se. Selenium concentrations of weed plants increased progressively with the levels of selenate-Se in soil. The highest Se concentration was recorded by Silene gallica (246 mg kg− 1) and the lowest by Avena ludoviciana (47 mg kg− 1) at 2.5 mg Se kg− 1 soil. A. ludoviciana and Spergula arvensis proved highly tolerant to the presence of 1.25 and 2.5 mg selenate-Se kg− 1 soil and the remaining weeds were sensitive to Se. Dry matter yield of Se-sensitive weed plants was 25 to 62% of the yield in the no-Se control at 1.25 mg selenate-Se kg− 1 and 6 to 40% at 2.5 mg selenate-Se kg− 1 soil. Other symptoms like change in leaf colour and size, burning of leaf tips and margins, and delayed flowering were also observed due to Se. Dry matter yield of Se-sensitive weed plants expressed as percentage of yield in the no-Se control at both the Se levels was inversely correlated with their Se content (r = − 0.731, p < 0.01, N = 17). Among the weed plants grown in seleniferous soils under field situations, Mentha longifolia accumulated the highest Se (365 mg kg− 1) and Phalaris minor the lowest (34 mg kg− 1). Among agricultural crops grown on a naturally contaminated soil in the greenhouse, Se concentrations were the highest for oilseed crops (19–29 mg kg− 1), followed by legumes (6–13 mg kg− 1) and cereals (2–18 mg kg− 1). Helianthus annuus among the oilseed crops, A. ludoviciana among the winter season weeds, M. longifolia among the summer season (May–October) weeds and Cirsium arvense among the perennial weeds can be used for phytoremediation of seleniferous soils as these accumulate the highest amounts of Se.