TY  - EJOU
AU  - Sariñana-Aldaco, Oscar 
AU  - Ayala-Contreras, Carmen Alicia 
AU  - González-Morales, Susana 
AU  - Cadenas-Pliego, Gregorio 
AU  - Pérez-Alvarez, Marissa 
AU  - Morales-Díaz, América Berenice 
AU  - Ojeda-Barrios, Dámaris Leopoldina 
AU  - Uresti-Porras, José Gerardo 
AU  - Benavides-Mendoza, Adalberto 

TI  - Effects of Seed Priming and Foliar Application of Selenite, Nanoselenium, and Microselenium on Growth, Biomolecules, and Nutrients in Cucumber Seedlings
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 2025
VL  - 94
IS  - 7
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - Selenium (Se) is a nutrient that is considered beneficial for plants, because its improvement in growth, yield and quality helps plants to mitigate stress. The objective of this research was to evaluate the application of sodium selenite (Na<sub>2</sub>SeO<sub>3</sub>), nanoparticles (SeNPs) and microparticles (SeMPs) of Se in cucumber seedlings, via two experiments: one with seed priming and the other with foliar application of Se materials. The doses used were: 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 3.0 mg · L<sup>−1</sup>, for each form of Se and for each form of application. Treatment 0 consisted of the application of distilled water, which was used as a control. The results indicated that the SeMPs treatment at 3.0 mg · L<sup>−1</sup> for seed priming had the greatest effect on stem diameter and leaf area. Foliar application of SeMPs at 1.5 mg · L<sup>−1</sup> was the most effective at increasing the leaf area. In terms of fresh and dry biomass (aerial, root and total) for seed priming, all the treatments were superior to the control, and SeMPs at 1.5 and 3.0 mg · L<sup>−1</sup> caused the greatest effects. With foliar application, fresh root biomass improved to a greater extent with the SeMPs treatment at 3.0 mg · L<sup>−1</sup>, and dry biomass (aerial, root and total) increased with the SeMPs at 1.0 and 3.0 mg · L<sup>−1</sup>. With respect to the photosynthetic pigments, proteins, phenols and minerals, the Se treatments, both for seed priming and foliar application, caused increases and decreases; however, reduced glutathione (GSH) increased with treatments in both forms of application. The Se concentration in the seedlings increased as the dose of Se material increased, and greater accumulation was achieved with foliar application of SeNPs and SeMPs. The results indicate that the use of Se materials is recommended, mainly the use of SeMPs, which improved the variables studied. This opens new opportunities for further studies with SeMPs, as little information is available on their application in agricultural crops.
KW  - Beneficial nutrients; biostimulants; nanomaterials; micromaterials; phytochemicals; sodium selenite

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2025.067577