UK soils are deficient in Selenium
A survey in 2000 by Rothamsted Research revealed that many UK soils are deficient in Selenium, and thus producing grass that is unable to supply grazing animals with enough Selenium for optimal health.
conducted in 2003 by Yara UK, which revealed further evidence of deficiency,
with 74% of samples falling below 0.1 mg/kg DM. At this level the grazing animal
is likely to have sub-optimal blood Se levels and hence reduced Glutathione
peroxidase activity.
Grass fertilization
Addressing
this problem has been the centre of research worldwide, with the majority
focusing on feed supplementation in the form of inorganic selenate or organic
selenium added to the ration. Yara UK has looked at another approach – through
grass fertilization. This work has demonstrated that applications of
Selenium-enriched fertilizer (Top Stock) through the grazing season increased Se
levels in the forage above the 0.1mg/kgDM level, subsequently raising the Se
Blood levels in all cases.
Having enriched grass ensures that during grazing
all animals are receiving supplementation. Another key aspect is that this
method supplies all the selenium in the organic form, bound into seleno proteins
(Se-Cysteine, and Se-Methionin), which are more readily available to the animal.
The plant does the process of converting inorganic selenate into organic
Selenium.
Related website:
Rothamsted Research
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