Enhancing Sunflower growth, yield, and Oil Production by foliar spring of selenium under localized irrigation systems

Badr ELSayed, Elham AEM; Amin, Gehan A.; El Sayed, Saied

doi:10.21608/agro.2025.347523.1587

Enhancing Sunflower growth, yield, and Oil Production by foliar spring of selenium under localized irrigation systems

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Field Crops Research Department, Agricultural and Biological Research Institute, National Research Centre, 33 El Behouth St. Giza, Egypt. P.O. 12622

² Plant Nutrition Department, Agricultural and Biological Research Institute, National Research Centre, 33 El Behouth St. Giza, Egypt. P.O. 12622

10.21608/agro.2025.347523.1587

Abstract

Drought is a persistent and devastating obstacle to crop production. Selenium (Se) mitigates various types of abiotic stress and promotes growth and crop production under unfavorable conditions. Two field experiments were conducted at Nubaria research station to evaluate the effects of Selenium on yield and oil production of Sunflower under different irrigation levels as 100, 75 and 50% of water requirement (WR) during seasons of 2020 and 2021. The results showed that low irrigation rates reduced the chlorophyll content, growth parameters (Head diameter, Head dry weight, number of seeds/head, 100 seed weight), Seed and Straw yield, oil content, oil yield and macro-micronutrient content. While, the application of selenium resulted in increases in all the above measurements. Results showed that selenium was most effective for increasing chlorophyll content and growth parameters compared with control under water stress conditions. Foliar application of selenium achieved a positive effect on the Oil content and Oil production, nutrient content. as well as water using efficiency, particularly at a rate of (20 ppm Se) comparable with the control under deficit irrigation regimes. The most effective way to improve the growth, yield and quality of sunflower plants under deficient irrigation systems is to use selenium (Se), which increases the plant's resistance to weather and water stress. Therefore, it is recommended that gardeners in arid and semi-arid regions fertilize sunflowers with selenium (20 ppm) to reduce the negative effects of drought and maintain crop yield and quality

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