• Hafiz Muhammad Rashad Javeed

• Rafi Qamar

• Shahid Ibni Zamir

• Atique-ur-Rehman

• Fahim Nawaz

• Ali Zakir

• Muhammad Maooz Faheem

• Mazhar Ali

• Abdul Rehman

• Amjad Farooq

Abstract

Certain hyperaccumulator plants can accumulate the Selenium (Se) at high concertation (1000 mg kg-1 d.wt.) from the soil available Se sources. It is still unknown whether this Se hyperaccumulation may be used to control the cell disrupter and fungal infection in Aridisoil of Punjab-Pakistan. Additionally, its deterrence and toxic properties also motivated the researchers to use Se in Plants. In this study, canola (Brassica napus L) was grown on nutrient culture with low (2 µM; -Se) and high Se (30 µM; +Se) concentrations to test the protection capabilities of Se against the cell disrupters and fungal infections. B. napus plants tested with higher Se concentrations (more than 800 mg Kg-1 ) were observed more protected from turnip aphid’s herbivory as compared to the low concentrations (less than 100 mg Kg-1 ). Similarly, the leaves of test plants with elevated Se concentrations (30 µM) were found more successful to avoid herbivory than the leaves of plants containing low Se concentrations (2 µM). Furthermore, feeding of red legged mites were reduced by 200% with the +Se application as compared to -Se application. Additionally, in another experiment, already established mite population was reduced by 55% with +Se application over -Se application. It was also noted that the leaves of B. napus plants contained the 1000 mgkg-1dw Se concertation. However, the smaller lesions (8 fold) on the B. aphid leaves were found in +Se treated plants than in -Se applied plants. The experiment resulted concluded that the Se concentration i.e. 500 mg kg-1 d. wt. in the plant leave tissues was sufficient to restrict the growth of A. brassicicola. In conclusion, Se application can significantly protect the Brassica plants from cell disruptor and fungal infection in both conditions i.e. fresh attacked and already established population. The results of current study would beneficially encourage the plant breeders and researchers to introduce genetically engineered crops which may produce significant amount of selenium in the plant cells.

Previous Article 

Next Article