Trace element levels and selenium uptake in cereals grown in lower Austria

Wheat, barley, rye, and maize were grown in field and pot experiments at various non-contaminated soils in order to establish uptake rates for added selenate, and to find baseline concentrations for various soil types. Edible parts (grains) and stalks of the crops were analyzed separately for Se, as well as for Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, P, S, and Zn. The addition of Na-selenate in admixture with the NPK 20:8:8 fertilizer had no influence on the composition of the other elements investigated. The proportions of added nitrate: selenate, and sulfate:selenate were kept constant. The Se- uptake rate differed among the cereals tested, it was highest for winter wheat. Utilization of added Se in the field ranged from $0,4-4,7\%$, and and in the pots from $3,3-5,4\%$, it was markedly lower in clay soil. Whereas P and Zn were preferably found in the grains, Ca-Fe-Mn-S got enriched in the stalks. For the fields, the location had some influence upon Fe, Mn, and Zn, whereas it was not important for P, S, Cu, and strikingly, Ca. Pot and field experiments on similar soils led to different results, except for P and S. Maize (whole grains) was significantly lower in Ca, Cu, and Mn, and might even cause trace element deficiencies, if exclusively fed. Few correlations between the trace elements investigated led to the conclusion that most element contents were governed by plant metabolism. Variations of mobile Fe in the soils were balanced by uptake into the stalks. The data are compared with data from other presumably non-contaminated sites.