The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in the selenium content in aerial parts of 32 maize varieties, different in the FAO number, as effected by the growing period and soil texture. The plant and soil samples were collected from demonstration plots of the Plant Breeding Institute Smolice Sp. z o.o. the IHAR group. Maize was grown on sandy loam and loamy sand with the natural selenium content (0.239 and 0.132 mg kg-1soil, respectively). Plant samples were collected in four vegetative growth stages: the phase of the third leaf (BBCH 13), 7-9 leaf phase (BBCH 17-19), full flowering (BBCH 67), and full maturity – harvested product (BBCH 99). The content of Se in the aerial parts of maize was affected by both the agronomic category of soils and varietal properties. The highest content of selenium was found in young plants collected in the phase of the 3rd leaf (BBCH 13), decreasing afterwards, along with the plant growth. Approximately 87% of the tested varieties collected in BBCH 67 phase contained from 20.00 to 40.00 μg Se kg-1 D.M. in the aerial parts, whereas only 6% of them contained more than 40.00 μg Se kg-1D.M. The selenium content in maize grain ranged from 4.000 to 111.9 μg kg-1 D.M., and the average content in grain collected from sandy loam was about twice as high as that determined in maize from loamy sand. Among all maize varieties, 41% had grains classified as selenium-deficient, 44% as having low Se content, and only 15% as having a medium amount of this microelement. The average selenium content in grain (31.50 µg kg-1 D.M. in BBCH 99 phase) and in the aerial parts (29.40 µg kg-1 D.M. in BBCH 67 phase) of maize grown in conditions where this element is naturally abundant can be considered as Se-deficient, insufficient to cover animals' needs for this element.

25.2.2020