Selenium in degraded fraction of Brachiaria biofortified

• Grant number: 16/01771-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2016
• End date: April 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Adibe Luiz Abdalla
• Grantee: Thainá Carolina Graciano
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Selenium (Se) is an important element for plants and animals, however Brazil generally has poor soils in Se, which can lead to deficiencies in plants and especially animals. Se is considered a nutrient for animals and its absence can result in low productivity and even the incidence of diseases. There is little information around the efficiency in supplying of Se for animals through pasture fertilization. The aiming will be estimate the Se forage fraction available for animals after ruminal fermentation, consequently, quantify Se in indigestible fraction trhough use of techniques in vitro. This study will use biofortified forage trhough fertilization with 0, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 g Se ha-1. Se was added along with Cu and B in coating of urea to applied in Brachiaria, which was harvested 30 days after fertilization.Evaluation of dry matter degradability and gas production in vitro will be performed. Se analysis will be made after separation of degraded and undegraded forage fraction in vitro, in order to estimate Se available to microorganisms. The results will help in recomendation of Se doses to the fertilization of pastures. This is important as Se consumed in inadequate amounts has a high potential toxicity to animals and Brachiaria brizantha has passive accumulator profile.