Efficiency of application of selenites in the growing season for enrichment of garlic with selenium

The aim of investigation was to improve the method of enrichment of garlic plants with selenium to the level of daily consumption rate by treatment of vegetative plants with solutions of sodium and potassium selenites in combination with surfactants. The investigations were carried out at ARRIVG – branch of FSCVG, in open ground in 2016–2018, on sandy loam soil with humus content of 3.41–3.44%, pHKCl 6.7, content of phosphorus (P2O5) in the layer 0–20 cm was 22.78–24.62 mg (Chirikov); content of potassium (K2O) – 10.38–17.88 mg (Maslova). To improve mineral nutrition of plants fall under the basic treatment in the soil was added potassium chloride at a dose of 50 g/m2 during the growing season were plant nutrition: first, in the early phase of intensive growth of leaves – ammonium nitrate – 30 g/m2, the second, two weeks after the first potassium sulphate and 50 g/m2. Weather conditions during the period of growth were favorable for growing garlic. Watering was carried out at the periods where the top layer of soil was dried. Studies were carried out on variety Gladiator of winter garlic. The experimental design included soaking the cloves for 30 minutes before planting, and subsequent double treatment of vegetating plants with 0.1% solution of sodium and potassium selenite in combination with surfactants (1%) and dimethyl sulfoxide (1%): the first time in the phase of the beginning of intense leaf growth and the second time after 3 weeks. As a result of the investigations it was found that non-root treatment of plants with solutions containing selenium was more effective than root treatment. Non-root top dressing with sodium selenite was in 2.3 times, and potassium selenite – in 5.8 times more effective than root. It is concluded that garlic bulbs obtained as a result of non-root treatment of plants with 0.1% solution of sodium and potassium Selenite in combination with surfactants and dimethylsulfoxide contain 145.3–169.8 times more selenium than control, which allows to obtain teeth containing selenium in a concentration of 6.83–7.98 mg/kg. The daily consumption rate of garlic is approximately 10 g, the average need for selenium element is from 30 to 70 micrograms. Because of content of selenium in enriched products consisted of 68.3-79.8 mcg/10 g of garlic, the proposed method of enrichment allows to fully satisfy the daily need of the human body at this microelement.

Key words: garlic, clove of garlic, selenium, enrichment methods, sodium selenite, surfactant.