Availability of selenium in forage to ruminants

G.W. Butler and P.J. Peterson

Plant Chemistry Division, DSIR, Palmerston North

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Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1963, 23: 13-19

A resume is given of work carried out on the uptake and assimilation of selenite and selenate by plants. By the use of ⁷⁵Se it was shown that the products of assimilation were predominantly seleno-amino acids.

When sheep were administered ⁷⁵Se-selenite or ⁷⁵Se-labelled red clover, the radioactivity was predominantly excreted in the faeces in insoluble forms.

In subsequent pot experiments very small amounts of selenium were absorbed from ⁷⁵Se-labelled dung by pasture plants.

The results are discussed in terms of the selenium cycle in grasslands.

Keywords: NZSAPAB;

Last Updated 24-08-2000