Effect of Se-Enriched Irrigation Water and Soil Texture on Biomass Production and Elemental Composition of Green Pea and Carrot and Their Contribution to Human Se Intake

Selenium (Se)-deficient diets are a problem in large areas of the world and can have serious health consequences, thus, the biofortification of foods with Se has been an important research field for several decades. The effect of Se-enriched irrigation water was investigated regarding the Se concentration in green peas and carrots. A pot experiment was set up in a greenhouse with irrigation water containing 0, 100, and 500 µg Se L −1 with sand, silty sand and silt soil types. Most of the treatments only slightly reduced the biomass, while the 500 µg Se L −1 treatment caused a significant decrease in the dry weight of carrot root. Treatment with irrigation water containing 100 µg Se L −1 increased the Se content in green peas and carrots 76 and 75 times, respectively, producing foodstuffs where 100 g of a fresh product covered 395% and 92% of the recommended dietary allowance, respectively, averaged over the three soil types. The Se concentration was higher for green peas in sand and carrots in silt. The treatments had little effect on the concentrations of other nutrients. The enrichment of irrigation water with Se may thus be a suitable method for the biofortification and production of functional food under certain conditions.