Exogenous Selenium and Biochar Application Modulate the Growth and Selenium Uptake of Medicinal Legume Astragalus Species

Shengjun Ma; Guangwei Zhu; Rozi Parhat; Yuanyuan Jin; Xueshuang Wang; Wenping Wu; Wanli Xu; Yanling Wang; Wenfeng Chen

doi:10.3390/plants12101957

Exogenous Selenium and Biochar Application Modulate the Growth and Selenium Uptake of Medicinal Legume Astragalus Species

Plants (Basel). 2023 May 11;12(10):1957. doi: 10.3390/plants12101957.

Authors

Shengjun Ma¹, Guangwei Zhu², Rozi Parhat¹, Yuanyuan Jin¹, Xueshuang Wang¹, Wenping Wu¹, Wanli Xu³, Yanling Wang¹, Wenfeng Chen⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Food and Pharmaceutical Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
² Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
³ Institute of Soil Fertilizer and Agricultural Water Conservation, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.

Abstract

Astragalus species have a certain capacity to enrich selenium (Se) and are the strongest Se hyperaccumulator legumes known globally at present. The biochar application to medicinal plants has been reported to affect plant metabolites. In this study, we aimed to employ hyperaccumulating Astragalus species in the plant growth of selenium-lacked soil, while also investigating the impact of varying selenium doses and biochar application on legumes growth, selenium content, and secondary metabolite production. Applying biochar to soil, along with a Se concentration of 6 mg/kg, significantly enhanced the growth, Se content, total polysaccharide content, and calycosin-7-glucoside content of Astragalus species (p < 0.05). Importantly, the Se and biochar application also led to a significant improvement in Se content in ABH roots (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the content of total flavonoids in ABH roots could be promoted by a Se concentration of 3 mg/kg and biochar application in soil. Additionally, the Se enrichment coefficients of Astragalus species under Se treatments were significantly higher than those under control treatment, with a marked difference observed across all treatments, whether roots or above-ground (p < 0.05). Remarkably, the Se transport coefficients of Astragalus species were observed to be lower than one, except for the transport coefficient of AB in the Se concentration of the control treatment (0 mg/kg). This result showed that a medium concentration treatment of Se and biochar application in soil not only promotes the growth of Astragalus species and the uptake of exogenous Se but also increases the active component content, meanwhile enhancing the Se enrichment and transport capacity. Taken as a whole, the present findings offer a more comprehensive understanding of the interplay between distinct Se levels, as well as the addition of biochar in soil, providing valuable insight for the cultivation of Se-rich Astragalus in Se-deficient soil-plant systems.

Keywords: Se content; active components; biochar application; hyperaccumulator; legumes.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.