Selenium agronomic biofortification of off-season maize

• Grant number: 25/09712-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Vinicius Martins Silva
• Grantee: Gabriel Cristovão da Silva Bizzotto
• Host Institution: Centro Universitário Faculdades Integradas de Ourinhos. Fundação Educacional Miguel Mofarrej. Ourinhos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Given the population growth estimated in the following decades, particularly in developing countries, food production must be capable of meeting global demand. In a scenario of climate changes and limited natural resources, more efficient and sustainable agricultural techniques are essential, mainly under abiotic stress conditions such as high temperatures and water restriction - common characteristics of Brazilian off-season cultivation. Selenium (Se) is a micronutrient for humans and a beneficial element for plants; however, its availability is limited in most cultivated soils. This deficiency results in low Se concentrations in plants and, consequently, in plant-based foods, leading to an insufficient dietary Se intake in humans. Maize (Zea mays), one of the most globally significant crops, ranks second in production in Brazil and is predominantly cultivated off-season, sowed between January and April following the soybean harvest. This study will be performed under field conditions in the experimental area of the Centro Universitário das Faculdades Integradas de Ourinhos, located in Ourinhos, São Paulo, Brazil. The experimental design will follow a randomized block arrangement with five treatments (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 g ha¿¹ of Se, applied as sodium selenate) and four replicates, totaling 20 plots. Agronomic parameters such as yield and vegetative development will be evaluated, along with biochemical analyses, including Se concentration, total sugars, and photosynthetic pigments in leaves, as well as Se content, total sugars, and storage proteins in grains. The hypothesis of this study is that Se application may not only promote maize grain biofortification but also enhance plant development under second-crop conditions.