The impact of selenium fertilizer application on the yield, quality, and selenium accumulation characteristics of various sweet potato varieties

The impact of selenium fertilizer application on the yield, quality, and selenium accumulation characteristics of various sweet potato varieties | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The impact of selenium fertilizer application on the yield, quality, and selenium accumulation characteristics of various sweet potato varieties Yixuan ZHANG, Huifeng Li, Yanqing Li, Yongmei Huang, Jingfeng Hua, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4653561/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 27 Oct, 2025 Read the published version in Acta Physiologiae Plantarum → Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The study focuses on the Gui 10 sweet potato variety, with different concentrations of selenium fertilizer applied (0, 4, 8, 12, and 14 mg/kg). The effects of selenium fertilizer on the agronomic traits, nutritional quality, yield, and selenium absorption of sweet potatoes are investigated to determine the optimal selenium supply level for the Gui 10 sweet potato variety, while also providing insights for the development of sweet potatoes. The results indicate that exogenous selenium supplementation increases the number of branches per plant, the longest vine length, and the number of tubers per plant, promoting the absorption of nutrients by sweet potatoes, thereby enhancing yield (by 26%). The contents of soluble sugar and starch show an increase, while the contents of reducing sugar and protein demonstrate a decrease. Additionally, selenium application significantly enhances selenium content in various parts of sweet potatoes, with the order of tuber > stem > leaf > root observed across different selenium application concentrations, indicating that tubers are the most susceptible to selenium accumulation. These findings suggest that the amount of selenium fertilizer has a specific impact on selenium accumulation in sweet potatoes. In conclusion, the optimal selenium application concentration for improving soil fertility, promoting sweet potato growth, enhancing quality, and increasing yield is 16 mg/kg − 1 . sweet potato The amount of selenium applied Yield Quality Selenium accumulation Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 INTRODUCTION Sweet potato is one of the important staple crops, second only to potatoes and cassava worldwide (Liu et al. 2024; Meng et al. 2022 ).In the late 16th century, sweet potatoes were introduced to China and widely cultivated due to their strong adaptability and high and stable yields. Sweet potatoes are nutritionally well-balanced and have been crowned "the best food" by the World Health Organization. It is widely known that the roots, stems, and leaves of sweet potatoes are all edible. Sweet potato leaves contain functional compounds with antioxidant activity, which enhance immunity, protect the liver, and provide health benefits such as anticancer and antibacterial effects (Li et al. 2017 ; Wang et al. 2016 ; Wu et al. 2015). Sweet potatoes are rich in starch, sugars, proteins, vitamins, fiber, and various amino acids, including certain B vitamins and vitamin C. These water-soluble vitamins (WSVs) play an important role in maintaining human health(Barrera and Picha 2014 ) . Selenium is one of the essential trace elements in the human body, with a content ranging from 14 to 21 mg. It plays various roles, including antioxidant functions, synergistic protection of cells with vitamin E, enhancement of immune function, and maintenance of vascular and cardiac health (Han and Liu 2022 ; Xu et al. 2022). In 1973, American scholars discovered that selenium is an essential component of glutathione peroxidase. Research indicates that selenium deficiency affects 10–50% of the population in most countries (That is, the adult intake is < 50 micrograms per day), leading to low selenium intake and reduced expression of selenium enzymes(Broome et al. 2004; Combs 2022 ). Selenium deficiency in the human body can lead to a decline in certain functions. Recent statistical data indicates that selenium deficiency significantly increases the risk of contracting highly pathogenic viral diseases. Additionally, it contributes to various cardiovascular diseases in humans(Yujiao et al. 2023), including myocardial infarction(Shimada et al. 2021 ) and hypertension(Lili and Liwei 2024 ). The maximum recommended daily intake of selenium for adults is 400 µg/d. Excessive supplementation of selenium can also be harmful to the human body. The level of selenium in the human body exhibits a U-shaped curve relationship with the occurrence of certain diseases. Excessive selenium supplementation also carries the risk of inducing diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cancer. Consuming sweet potatoes can supplement a small amount of selenium. Qiaotou Town in Chengmai County, Hainan Province, is nationally renowned as a 'selenium-rich region,' famous for its selenium-rich sweet potato tubers, which are popular throughout the country. However, selenium distribution in China is uneven, with both selenium-rich and selenium-deficient areas. Seventy-two percent of the regions in our country belong to low-selenium and selenium-deficient zones, with 30% classified as severely selenium-deficient areas. The selenium content in staple foods and vegetables is very low, indicating that the daily selenium intake of the Chinese population is insufficient. Selenium is an essential micronutrient for humans, and it is also crucial for animals and plants(El-Ramady et al. 2020; Pecoraro et al. 2022).Research has shown that the concentration of selenium in plants had varying effects on their growth. Selenium was found to reduce the inhibitory effect of cadmium on plants in cucumber (Bu et al. 2020).The foliar application of selenium promoted an increase in the photosynthetic rate of wheat grains and had a positive effect on carbohydrate metabolism by increasing soluble sugars, starch, and other metabolites (Lara et al. 2019).Gao et al. reported that selenium application could reduce the transfer of cadmium from the soil to the leaves and decrease the damage to the cell wall caused by lipid peroxidation resulting from reactive oxygen species formation in leaves when soil cadmium contamination occurred (Jiang et al. 2022; Seregina et al. 2023 ).As such, it is particularly important to identify the impact of selenium on the quality and selenium accumulation characteristics of sweet potatoes. This study focuses on three different varieties of sweet potatoes, namely Gui 10, Gui Ziwei 1, and Violet. It investigates the absorption and accumulation patterns of exogenous selenium in these varieties, as well as their effects on tuber quality and yield. The aim is to select the optimal selenium application concentration and explore the absorption, accumulation, and distribution patterns of selenium in edible sweet potatoes. Materials and methods A greenhouse cultivation experiment was conducted on sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas). The cultivation variety, Gui Shu 10, was planted in 2018 at the Mingyang Base of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, located in Nanning, China. The experiment was conducted on red soil with the following characteristics: pH 7.1, organic matter 8.7%, nitrogen (N) 449 mg/kg, phosphorus pentoxide (P 2 O 5 ) 430 mg/kg, potassium oxide (K 2 O) 3928 mg/kg, and total selenium content in the soil of 0.23 mg/kg. 2.2 Experimental design The experiment was conducted in 2018 at the Mingyang Base of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, located in a greenhouse (latitude N: 31°24'18.97", longitude E: 121°29'21.88"). Pot experiments were employed. The experiment was conducted on red soil with the following characteristics: pH 7.1, organic matter 8.7%, nitrogen (N) 449 mg/kg, phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) 430 mg/kg, potassium oxide (K 2 O) 3928 mg/kg, and total selenium content in the soil of 0.23 mg/kg. The experimental design included a control group (CK, without selenium addition) and four selenium fertilizer gradients: selenite (4, 8, 12, 16) mg/kg, totaling five treatment groups. Each group had three replicates, making a total of 45 pots. Each pot was fertilized with compound fertilizer (17:17:17) at 9 grams, potassium sulfate (51%) at 9 grams, and mixed evenly with the same soil as base fertilizer. After the addition of selenite, the pots were left for two weeks before planting. A randomized complete block design with 15 replicates was used, with each pot planting two sweet potato . 2.3 sampling According to the experimental plan, samples are collected at 50, 70, 90, 110, and 130 days after planting. Indoor investigations are conducted to assess the branching number and vine length of individual plants, which are then divided into four parts: roots, stems, leaves, and tubers for analysis. Each part is weighed, bagged, and dried in an oven to calculate both tuber dry yield and fresh tuber yield. For soluble sugars, reducing sugars, and protein determination, samples are taken from fresh tuber chunks, washed, and dried. One portion of the samples is used for soluble sugars, reducing sugars, and protein analysis, while another portion is sliced, dried, ground into powder, and utilized for starch, lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and selenium content determination. Method for fresh tuber yield determination: Mature tubers from each pot are collected, weighed on a scale, and repeated three times to obtain an average. Method for tuber dry yield determination: All tubers are cut into shreds, oven-dried to a constant weight, repeated three times, and averaged. Vine length (cm): The length from the stem base to the stem tip is measured three times. Method for soluble sugars determination: 2.0 grams of sweet potato powder are placed into a 150-milliliter beaker and mixed with approximately 40 milliliters of 80% ethanol solution. After sealing the beaker with a film, the mixture is magnetically stirred at 45 degrees Celsius for 2 hours. Once cooled to room temperature, the solution is adjusted to 50 milliliters. The solution is then centrifuged, filtered through a 0.45-micrometer filter membrane, and transferred to sample bottles for further analysis. Method for reducing sugars determination: Copper sulfate method is employed. Method for starch determination: The defatted and desugared samples are transferred twice into test tubes with 15 milliliters of distilled water each time. Then, 10 milliliters of hydrochloric acid solution (1+1) are added to the test tube, mixed, and heated in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. The degree of hydrolysis is then tested using iodine solution. After cooling, the solution is adjusted to 100 milliliters, centrifuged at 8,000 rpm for 10 minutes at 25 degrees Celsius, and 20 milliliters of supernatant is taken. 30 milliliters of distilled water and sodium hydroxide solution (200 grams per liter) are added to adjust the pH to 7~7.3, then the solution is brought to 100 milliliters and mixed well for later use. Method for protein determination: 1 gram of sweet potato sample is placed into a 500-milliliter Kjeldahl flask and thoroughly mixed with 30 milliliters of water. Then, 15 milliliters of 10% barium chloride solution are added to the flask and shaken. Subsequently, 40~50 milliliters of 45% sodium hydroxide solution are added, and a distillation apparatus is immediately connected. The distillation tube is immersed in a graduated cylinder containing 40 milliliters of 2% borax and 2 drops of methyl red-bromothymol blue mixed indicator. After ensuring thorough mixing, the distillation is started. When the volume of the distillate reaches 60 milliliters (total volume 100 milliliters), the distillation process is stopped. Finally, the absorbent liquid is titrated with 0.05 moles per liter standard hydrochloric acid solution, and the volume consumed is recorded. Determination of heavy metal content in sweet potatoes: Various varieties of sweet potatoes are first rinsed with tap water, then washed with distilled water, air-dried, sliced, and dried at 400 degrees Celsius, followed by grinding and sieving through a 200-mesh sieve. After sampling, they are treated with a mixture of HNO 3 (AR) and HClO 4 (AR) in a ratio of 4:1, and the volume is adjusted to 2000 milliliters for heavy metal content determination. Soil samples are air-dried, sieved through a 2 mm nylon sieve to remove impurities, further ground with agate mortar, sieved through a 100-mesh nylon sieve, and then a certain amount of soil sample is taken for heavy metal determination. Using nitric acid-hydrofluoric acid and other high-purity reagents for complete digestion, all heavy metal elements in the soil samples are transferred into the test solution, and then their heavy metal content is determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. 2.4 Data analysis The data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance, with mean separation conducted through Duncan's multiple range test, following a significance level of 0.05. SPSS software version 14.0 was employed for the analysis. Result 3. 1 Effects of selenium application on agronomic characters and yield of sweet potato According to Table 3 − 1 , it is evident that after selenium application, there is an overall upward trend in the number of branches, maximum vine length, and number of tubers per sweet potato plant. When the selenium concentration is 16 mg/kg − 1 , the number of branches per plant reaches its maximum value, showing a 37% increase compared to the control group (CK). When selenium concentrations are 12 mg/kg − 1 and 16 mg/kg − 1 , the longest vine lengths are observed compared to the CK. Meanwhile, when selenium concentration is 8 mg/kg − 1 , the lengths are similar to the CK. The highest number of tubers per plant is found in the treatment with 16 mg/kg − 1 of selenium, showing a 9% increase compared to the CK. The fresh tuber yield significantly increased under selenium application at concentrations of 12 mg/kg − 1 and 16 mg/kg − 1 , showing a 29% and 31% increase compared to other treatments, respectively. Similarly, the dry tuber yield exhibited a consistent pattern with the fresh tuber yield under selenium application, showing a 25% and 26% increase compared to the CK, respectively. From the above, it can be seen that moderate selenium application can increase the number of branches per plant, maximum vine length, and number of tubers per plant, thereby increasing yield. The best effect is observed at a concentration of 16 mg/kg − 1 .。 Table 3 − 1 Effect of selenium application on agronomic traits of sweet potato Se processing(mg/kg − 1 ) Number of branches per plant (pieces) Maximum vine length (cm) Number of potatoes produced per plant (pieces) Fresh potato yield (g) Dried potato yield (g) CK 7.93c 110.12a 6.67a 213.67a 44.58a Se4 10ab 105.71a 6.50a 268.55ab 55.38a Se8 9.43b 110.93a 5.50a 227.97ab 50.37a Se12 9.18bc 114.48a 6.67a 276.18ab 55.57a Se16 10.87a 115.86a 7.33a 278.95a 56.13a 3.2 Effect of selenium application on nutritional quality of sweet potato 3.2.1 Effect of selenium application on soluble sugar and reducing sugar of sweet potato According to Fig. 1 , it is evident that the application of selenium significantly influences the soluble sugar content of sweet potatoes, and overall, it demonstrates a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing with the increase in selenium concentration. Compared to the control group (CK), the soluble sugar content of sweet potatoes significantly increases after selenium application, with the greatest increase observed at a selenium concentration of 8 mg/kg − 1 . It triples compared to the CK group. However, when the selenium content surpasses 8 mg/kg − 1 , there is a significant decrease in the soluble sugar content, which demonstrates an increasing trend compared to the CK group. The trend in reducing sugar content is opposite; after selenium application, the reducing sugar content of sweet potatoes significantly decreases, showing declines of 28%, 25%, 52%, and 33% respectively compared to CK, with the most significant decrease observed at a selenium concentration of 12 mg/kg − 1 . From this, it can be observed that moderate selenium application significantly increases the soluble sugar content of sweet potatoes. However, beyond a certain range, the increasing trend in soluble sugar content decreases, while the reducing sugar content decreases. 3.2.2 Effect of selenium application on protein of sweet potato Based on Fig. 2 , it is evident that after selenium application, the protein content of sweet potatoes significantly decreases, showing a trend of initial decline followed by slow increase. After selenium application, the protein content of sweet potatoes decreases by 17–32%. The most significant decrease in protein content occurs at a selenium concentration of 4 mg/kg − 1 , followed by the 8 mg/kg − 1 treatment, which decreases by 23%. Overall, it can be observed that selenium application significantly reduces the protein content of sweet potatoes, with the most pronounced effect observed at a selenium concentration of 4 mg/kg − 1 . 3.2.3 Effect of selenium application on sweet potato starch From Fig. 3 , it is evident that after selenium application, the starch content in sweet potatoes significantly decreases, and it exhibits a trend of initially increasing, then decreasing, and then slowly increasing again with the selenium concentration. Compared to CK, selenium fertilizer increases the starch content of sweet potatoes. At selenium application rates of 4 mg/kg − 1 , 8 mg/kg − 1 , 12 mg/kg − 1 , and 16 mg/kg − 1 , the starch content increases by 6%, 3%, 6%, and 6% respectively, with the greatest increase observed at a selenium application rate of 4 mg/kg − 1 . These results indicate that selenium fertilizer can enhance the starch content of sweet potatoes, consistent with the trends observed for soluble sugar content. 3.2.4 Effect of selenium application on heavy metals in sweet potato From Fig. 4 (A), it is evident that, except for the treatment with a selenium concentration of 4 mg/kg − 1 , all treatments have increased the accumulation of lead in sweet potatoes. The lead content in sweet potatoes increases with the increase in selenium concentration. When applied at concentrations of 8 mg/kg − 1 , 12 mg/kg − 1 , and 16 mg/kg − 1 , the lead content in sweet potatoes increased by 17%, 15%, and 20%, respectively, compared to the control (CK), except at the concentration of 4 mg/kg − 1 . Selenium fertilizer affects cadmium accumulation differently from lead accumulation. Compared to the control, all treatments have reduced the cadmium content in sweet potatoes (Fig. 4 B). At selenium concentrations of 4 mg/kg − 1 and 12 mg/kg − 1 , there is no significant difference in the downward trend, with decreases of 29% and 32%, respectively. Similarly, at selenium concentrations of 8 mg/kg − 1 and 16 mg/kg − 1 , there is no significant difference, with decreases of 37% and 38%, respectively. When compared with CK, except for the selenium application rate of 12 mg/kg − 1 , all other treatments have enhanced the accumulation of mercury in sweet potatoes (Fig. 4 C). At selenium application rates of 4 mg/kg − 1 , 8 mg/kg − 1 , and 16 mg/kg − 1 , mercury accumulation increased by 14%, 23%, and 11% respectively, while in the remaining treatments, mercury accumulation significantly decreased by 6%. From Fig. 4 (D), it can be observed that compared to CK, there was no change in the arsenic content in sweet potatoes at selenium application rates of 12 mg/kg − 1 and 16 mg/kg − 1 . However, at a selenium application rate of 4 mg/kg − 1 , the arsenic content significantly decreased by 29%, while at a rate of 8 mg/kg − 1 , it increased significantly by 10%. In conclusion, selenium application affects the absorption and accumulation of lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic in sweet potatoes. The cadmium content in sweet potatoes significantly decreased, while the others increased to some extent. 3.3 Total selenium content Figure 5 (A) illustrates the accumulation of selenium under different treatments and the distribution ratio of selenium accumulation among the roots, stems, leaves, and tubers. The total selenium content in roots, stems, leaves, and tubers increases with the selenium concentration, with the highest total selenium content observed under the 16 mg/kg − 1 treatment, at 0.0005, 0.0081, 0.0206, 0.0519, and 0.1033 mg, respectively, significantly higher than other treatments. Across different selenium concentrations, the order of accumulation is tubers > stems > leaves > roots, indicating that tubers are most efficient in selenium accumulation. These results suggest that the amount of selenium fertilizer has a specific impact on selenium accumulation in sweet potatoes, With the increase in soil selenium concentration, the selenium content in the roots, stems, leaves, and tubers of sweet potatoes significantly increases. From Fig. 5 (B), it is evident that there are significant differences in selenium absorption rates among sweet potatoes under different selenium treatments. Compared to the CK group, the selenium accumulation per plant increased by 20, 37, 99, and 159 times, respectively, when the selenium application rates were 4 mg/kg-1, 8 mg/kg-1, 12 mg/kg-1, and 16 mg/kg-1. Selenium accumulation increased with higher selenium application rates. Specifically, when the selenium application rate was 16 mg/kg-1, the selenium accumulation per plant reached its highest level. 3.4 Effect of soil selenium concentration on selenium components and utilization in tuber The utilization efficiency of selenium indicates the effective absorption of selenium in crops. Before selenium application, the selenium utilization efficiency of sweet potatoes was 23%, indicating that less than half of the selenium was utilized. After selenium application, the selenium utilization efficiency of sweet potatoes increased by 35%, 33%, 58%, and 70%, respectively, suggesting that increasing soil selenium supply is an effective means of enhancing selenium utilization efficiency in sweet potatoes (Fig. 6 A). These results underscore the significant impact of selenium treatment on selenium accumulation in sweet potatoes. Irrespective of adding selenite or selenate to the soil, there were no detection of Se differences in the tubers with different treatments. However, the percentage of SeCys2, SeMeCys, SeMet, and unknowns were different in the experimental treatments (Fig. 6 B). With an increase of soil Se concentration, the percentage of SeMeCys in tubers gradually decreased. In the treatment of Se16, the proportion of unknown components in tubers increased significantly. Discussion Effect of selenium application on growth of sweet potato Nutritional research on selenium has become one of the key focuses of micronutrient studies worldwide, especially in European and American countries. The impact of different selenium application rates varies across plants.It has been reported that selenium fertilization can increase the chlorophyll content in plant leaves and the photosynthetic capacity of oats, thereby enhancing photosynthesis and increasing oat yield(Li et al. 2021);Selenium fertilizer has been shown to ameliorate sodium uptake in green bean plants under salt stress, enhancing the absorption of antioxidants and consequently increasing green bean yield. Additionally, it alleviates the adverse effects of drought on rapeseed(Ahmad et al. 2021; Kaur and Nayyar 2015 ) . Wójcik et al. found that selenium fertilizer can positively enhance the quality and post-harvest storage tolerance of apples (Wójcik et al. 2024) .The results of this study indicate a positive correlation between the number of branches per plant, the longest vine length, the number of tubers per plant, and yield with the application of selenium, with the best performance observed at 16 mg/kg − 1 . Moderate application of selenium fertilizer can promote vine growth, increase branching, and enhance tuber formation, while excessive selenium application may reduce yield. Effect of selenium application on nutritional quality of sweet potato Selenium fertilizer not only enhances sweet potato yield but also improves its nutritional quality. Research by Zhu et al. demonstrates that an appropriate application of selenium fertilizer can increase the levels of sugars, organic acids, and amino acids in tomatoes (Zhu et al. 2018). Selenium fertilizer increases the wax on the surface of spring wheat, thereby reducing moisture loss and ensuring the taste of wheat (Zhang et al. 2024) .Selenium yeast increases the vitamin C content and free amino acids in broccoli(Gui et al. 2022 ). Selenium fertilizer increases the chlorophyll content, internode length, plant height, and ear height of upland maize (Wang et al. 2022). In this experiment, an appropriate amount of selenium application significantly increases the soluble sugar and starch content of sweet potatoes, while reducing the content of reducing sugar and protein. The soluble sugar content of sweet potatoes is highest at a selenium concentration of 8 mg/kg − 1 , while the protein and starch content are highest at a selenium concentration of 4 mg/kg − 1 . Soil heavy metal content is related to plants(Pietrelli et al. 2022 ). Selenium, as a negatively charged non-metal ion, can bind with positively charged harmful metal ions in organisms, forming metal-selenium protein complexes. These complexes directly expel harmful metal ions that can induce carcinogenesis, thereby mitigating the toxicity of metal ions and serving a detoxifying and expelling function. Studies indicate that selenium reduces the harm of arsenic to rice plants, diminishes the migration of cadmium from roots to shoots in seedlings, thereby altering the growth of rice (Kumar et al. 2014 ; Wan et al. 2016 ) .The activation of PAL and chalcone synthase (CHS) genes by Se reduces the impact of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and anthocyanins in Arabidopsis under chromium stress (Asgher et al. 2023 ; Handa et al. 2019; Hasanuzzaman et al. 2020) .In this experiment, it was observed that selenium application affects the absorption and accumulation of lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic in sweet potatoes. While the cadmium content decreased significantly, the others showed an increase, indicating the need for further exploration of the dosage of selenium fertilizer. The selenium content in plants typically ranges from 0.02 to 1.00 mg/kg − 1 , with plants grown in selenium-rich soil generally having selenium levels exceeding 2 mg/kg − 1 . Plant selenium content is largely determined by soil selenium levels, and selenium supplementation in soil can effectively increase plant selenium content. Xia et al(Xia et al. 2020) found that selenium application increased the uptake rate of selenium from roots to aboveground parts in purple-grain wheat, resulting in a higher translocation rate from aboveground parts to seeds. In certain regions with high selenium levels, plants exhibit increased selenium absorption, such as high-selenium rice varieties, which can uptake selenium from the soil and subsequently transfer it to the grains, thereby enhancing the selenium content in rice(Liu et al. 2012 ) .These findings suggest that soil selenium levels contribute to increasing crop selenium content. In this experiment, the total selenium content in roots, stems, leaves, and tubers increases with selenium concentration, with the highest total selenium content observed in the 16 mg/kg − 1 treatment. Across different selenium concentrations, the order of total selenium content is tubers > stems > leaves > roots, indicating that tubers have the highest selenium content. It is therefore speculated that tubers, being closest to the soil, may have the easiest selenium absorption, resulting in the highest content. Conclusion Selenium application promotes the growth of sweet potatoes, improves their nutritional quality, and consequently enhances yield. Adequate selenium application increases the number of branches, the length of vines, the number of tubers per plant, and overall yield of sweet potatoes. The optimal effect is observed at a selenium dosage of 16 mg/kg − 1 , where the number of branches, the length of vines, and the number of tubers per plant are maximized. Simultaneously, selenium application can alter the nutritional quality and metal content of sweet potatoes. With the increase in selenium concentration, the accumulation of selenium among the roots, stems, leaves, and tubers also gradually increases. Declarations Acknowledgements This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China Project (No. 32060469), Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs: National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Project (CARS-10-C17), Special Funding Project for Basic Research Business of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Guinongke 2021YT022; Guinongke 2023YM02), Science and Technology Development Fund Project of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Guinongke 2021ZX09; Guinongke 2021ZX13), Guangxi Natural Science Foundation General Project (No. 2022GXNSFAA035558), Guangxi Key Research and Development Plan (No. 2023AB19019). Contributions All authors contributed to the conception and design of this study. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Huifeng Li ,Yanqing Li ,Yongmei Huang ,Jingfeng Hua and Jie Yin. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Y Huifeng Li and Yixuan Zhang, reviewed and revised by Dong Xiao. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript. Ethics declarations Competing interests The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. References Ahmad Z, Anjum S, Skalicky M, Waraich E A, Muhammad Sabir Tariq R, Ayub M A, Hossain A, Hassan M M, Brestic M, Sohidul Islam M, Habib-Ur-Rahman M, Wasaya A, Aamir Iqbal M and El Sabagh A 2021 Selenium Alleviates the Adverse Effect of Drought in Oilseed Crops Camelina ( Camelina sativa L.) and Canola ( Brassica napus L.). Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) 26, 1699. 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Seregina I I, Trukhachev V I, Belopukhov S L, Dmitrevskaya I I, Zhevnerov A V and Zharkikh O A 2023 The use of selenium for protective and stimulating effects on plants when soil is contaminated with cadmium. Brazilian journal of biology 83, e269419. Shimada B K, Alfulaij N and Seale L A 2021 The Impact of Selenium Deficiency on Cardiovascular Function. International journal of molecular sciences 22, 10713. Wan Y, Yu Y, Wang Q, Qiao Y and Li H 2016 Cadmium uptake dynamics and translocation in rice seedling: Influence of different forms of selenium. ECOTOX ENVIRON SAFE 133, 127-134. Wang L, Gao F, Zhang L, Zhao L, Deng Y, Guo H, Qin L and Wang C 2022 Effects of Basal Selenium Fertilizer Application on Agronomic Traits, Yield, Quality, and Se Content of Dryland Maize. PLANTS-BASEL 11, 3099. Wang S, Nie S and Zhu F 2016 Chemical constituents and health effects of sweet potato. FOOD RES INT 89, 90-116. Wójcik P, Filipczak J and Wójcik M 2024 Impact of selenium fertilisation of ‘Red Jonaprince’ apple trees on selenium nutrition and fruit quality and storability. SCI HORTIC-AMSTERDAM 327, 112871. Wu Q, Qu H, Jia J, Kuang C, Wen Y, Yan H and Gui Z 2015 Characterization, antioxidant and antitumor activities of polysaccharides from purple sweet potato. CARBOHYD POLYM 132, 31-40. Xia Q, Yang Z, Shui Y, Liu X, Chen J, Khan S, Wang J and Gao Z 2020 Methods of Selenium Application Differentially Modulate Plant Growth, Selenium Accumulation and Speciation, Protein, Anthocyanins and Concentrations of Mineral Elements in Purple-Grained Wheat. FRONT PLANT SCI 11, 1114. Xu X, Wang J, Wu H, Yuan Q, Wang J, Cui J and Lin A 2022 Effects of selenium fertilizer application and tomato varieties on tomato fruit quality: A meta-analysis. SCI HORTIC-AMSTERDAM 304, 111242. Yujiao H, Xinyu T, Xue F, Zhe L, Lin P, Guangliang S and Shu L 2023 Selenium deficiency increased duodenal permeability and decreased expression of antimicrobial peptides by activating ROS/NF-κB signal pathway in chickens. BIOMETALS 36, 137-152. Zhang X, Li W, Gong Z, Ludlow R A, Xiao M, Zhao B, Li X, Jia C, Li P and Liu W 2024 Increased nutritional quality of rice grains and migration mechanisms of selenium by spraying a foliar selenium-rich nutrient solution. J PLANT NUTR, 1-17. Zhu Z, Zhang Y, Liu J, Chen Y and Zhang X 2018 Exploring the effects of selenium treatment on the nutritional quality of tomato fruit. FOOD CHEM 252, 9-15. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 27 Oct, 2025 Read the published version in Acta Physiologiae Plantarum → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Aug, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 20 Jul, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 29 Jun, 2024 First submitted to journal 28 Jun, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4653561","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":329391731,"identity":"c10e4cbc-a668-4475-ba18-8ef54240dd67","order_by":0,"name":"Yixuan ZHANG","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6klEQVRIie3PL2vDQBjH8ec4uJmjsRcYzVt4qNgfVtc38hyF1KxQGVHYQsZFrGO2fReVteEgKvOVFyZmW1cxsfiWJHUT99HPF34PgOf9QyL6Lhzh+OXzJk0dJcvuZADxFN0iZpuVzdBVZXcyhOe70B0s265nJqzfeI9hUMaK0HIEbRL9KiDI36k9YZl9IJyJeyjMXu9uQVVf2/aEC70nfJKPadoklQBU845ESGyGcYWWmYU2vEci5ahJJoglM9AvUWKKhDGFK5YpqkrZ+Uu05kV9+h1TEP3Ux1OyHAb5R3tyRl537nme5130B0eoSuhz9gk6AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7345-5768","institution":"Guangxi University","correspondingAuthor":true,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yixuan","middleName":"","lastName":"ZHANG","suffix":""},{"id":329391732,"identity":"2a508478-3708-461d-ab64-61a05de4af68","order_by":1,"name":"Huifeng Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Science","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Huifeng","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":329391733,"identity":"a90fdc51-566a-4295-9f9d-64d212f15a14","order_by":2,"name":"Yanqing Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Science","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yanqing","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":329391734,"identity":"ddac70e4-b9f3-4bb6-b899-1411a4b78ab7","order_by":3,"name":"Yongmei Huang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Science","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yongmei","middleName":"","lastName":"Huang","suffix":""},{"id":329391735,"identity":"75eae662-81c4-4da2-9075-ad8338695b7b","order_by":4,"name":"Jingfeng Hua","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Science","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jingfeng","middleName":"","lastName":"Hua","suffix":""},{"id":329391736,"identity":"c51f6d54-cc48-45f3-b1b7-b726212fe3bb","order_by":5,"name":"Jie Yin","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Science","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jie","middleName":"","lastName":"Yin","suffix":""},{"id":329391737,"identity":"089269a5-4832-4eb1-9069-257216f81ffc","order_by":6,"name":"Dong Xiao","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4968-9019","institution":"Guangxi University","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Dong","middleName":"","lastName":"Xiao","suffix":""},{"id":329391738,"identity":"243841be-7160-4b4c-bdd8-a3c7285f22d2","order_by":7,"name":"Tianyuan Chen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Science","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tianyuan","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-06-28 09:13:26","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4653561/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4653561/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-025-03846-w","type":"published","date":"2025-10-27T15:58:01+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":62430533,"identity":"1f1eb5ec-d4be-42d8-a2e9-55d0b3a17fdb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-14 06:36:02","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":157047,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eEffect of selenium application on soluble sugar and reducing sugar of sweet potato. The error bar represents the standard deviation of the mean. Asterisks indicated that there were significant differences between control and selenium treated sweet potatoes by T-test (P \u0026lt; .05).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4653561/v1/58586dc618b1267b5b31e6ff.png"},{"id":62430527,"identity":"84eb58cd-6d95-4fc3-9945-98b6a61832aa","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-14 06:36:02","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":57385,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eEffect of selenium application on protein of sweet potato\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4653561/v1/9d61db1ae47d9cec08a8e44a.png"},{"id":62431166,"identity":"33b562f8-d93e-4d6b-99f7-928379bb4ca9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-14 06:44:02","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":37258,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eEffect of selenium application on sweet potato starch\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4653561/v1/341dd5e2c932e92d2424f6d8.png"},{"id":62430529,"identity":"02e8d2c7-519b-4881-a3f7-c146518dee52","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-14 06:36:02","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":282427,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eEffect of selenium application on heavy metals in sweet potato.The error bar represents the standard deviation of the mean. Asterisks indicated that there were significant differences between control and selenium treated sweet potatoes by T-test (P \u0026lt; .05).\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4653561/v1/6f73ae7e32c4a18a922c9dce.png"},{"id":62432550,"identity":"9696f8d0-09b7-4b7e-a17b-8f5a21a3c13d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-14 07:00:02","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":77100,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSelenium accumulation in various parts of sweet potato under different selenium supply levels\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4653561/v1/dd6ea47607b2755f7f80daf3.png"},{"id":62430530,"identity":"6519e697-ac37-46dd-8bbd-f3d80cd184af","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-14 06:36:02","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":80994,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eEffect of soil selenium concentration on selenium components and utilization in tuber\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4653561/v1/3ac6a90199a33a6cb73b2dff.png"},{"id":95040436,"identity":"95ec4837-e158-49bf-9fba-6b41c20a0162","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-03 16:08:42","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1552083,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4653561/v1/d659d3c9-9b14-4b7d-a7e1-50c16f89803a.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"The impact of selenium fertilizer application on the yield, quality, and selenium accumulation characteristics of various sweet potato varieties","fulltext":[{"header":"INTRODUCTION","content":"\u003cp\u003eSweet potato is one of the important staple crops, second only to potatoes and cassava worldwide (Liu et al. 2024; Meng et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).In the late 16th century, sweet potatoes were introduced to China and widely cultivated due to their strong adaptability and high and stable yields. Sweet potatoes are nutritionally well-balanced and have been crowned \"the best food\" by the World Health Organization. It is widely known that the roots, stems, and leaves of sweet potatoes are all edible. Sweet potato leaves contain functional compounds with antioxidant activity, which enhance immunity, protect the liver, and provide health benefits such as anticancer and antibacterial effects (Li et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Wang et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Wu et al. 2015). Sweet potatoes are rich in starch, sugars, proteins, vitamins, fiber, and various amino acids, including certain B vitamins and vitamin C. These water-soluble vitamins (WSVs) play an important role in maintaining human health(Barrera and Picha \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e) .\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelenium is one of the essential trace elements in the human body, with a content ranging from 14 to 21 mg. It plays various roles, including antioxidant functions, synergistic protection of cells with vitamin E, enhancement of immune function, and maintenance of vascular and cardiac health (Han and Liu \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Xu et al. 2022). In 1973, American scholars discovered that selenium is an essential component of glutathione peroxidase. Research indicates that selenium deficiency affects 10\u0026ndash;50% of the population in most countries (That is, the adult intake is \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;50 micrograms per day), leading to low selenium intake and reduced expression of selenium enzymes(Broome et al. 2004; Combs \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Selenium deficiency in the human body can lead to a decline in certain functions. Recent statistical data indicates that selenium deficiency significantly increases the risk of contracting highly pathogenic viral diseases. Additionally, it contributes to various cardiovascular diseases in humans(Yujiao et al. 2023), including myocardial infarction(Shimada et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) and hypertension(Lili and Liwei \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The maximum recommended daily intake of selenium for adults is 400 \u0026micro;g/d. Excessive supplementation of selenium can also be harmful to the human body. The level of selenium in the human body exhibits a U-shaped curve relationship with the occurrence of certain diseases. Excessive selenium supplementation also carries the risk of inducing diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cancer.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConsuming sweet potatoes can supplement a small amount of selenium. Qiaotou Town in Chengmai County, Hainan Province, is nationally renowned as a 'selenium-rich region,' famous for its selenium-rich sweet potato tubers, which are popular throughout the country. However, selenium distribution in China is uneven, with both selenium-rich and selenium-deficient areas. Seventy-two percent of the regions in our country belong to low-selenium and selenium-deficient zones, with 30% classified as severely selenium-deficient areas. The selenium content in staple foods and vegetables is very low, indicating that the daily selenium intake of the Chinese population is insufficient.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelenium is an essential micronutrient for humans, and it is also crucial for animals and plants(El-Ramady et al. 2020; Pecoraro et al. 2022).Research has shown that the concentration of selenium in plants had varying effects on their growth. Selenium was found to reduce the inhibitory effect of cadmium on plants in cucumber (Bu et al. 2020).The foliar application of selenium promoted an increase in the photosynthetic rate of wheat grains and had a positive effect on carbohydrate metabolism by increasing soluble sugars, starch, and other metabolites (Lara et al. 2019).Gao et al. reported that selenium application could reduce the transfer of cadmium from the soil to the leaves and decrease the damage to the cell wall caused by lipid peroxidation resulting from reactive oxygen species formation in leaves when soil cadmium contamination occurred (Jiang et al. 2022; Seregina et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).As such, it is particularly important to identify the impact of selenium on the quality and selenium accumulation characteristics of sweet potatoes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study focuses on three different varieties of sweet potatoes, namely Gui 10, Gui Ziwei 1, and Violet. It investigates the absorption and accumulation patterns of exogenous selenium in these varieties, as well as their effects on tuber quality and yield. The aim is to select the optimal selenium application concentration and explore the absorption, accumulation, and distribution patterns of selenium in edible sweet potatoes.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eA greenhouse cultivation experiment was conducted on sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas). The cultivation variety, Gui Shu 10, was planted in 2018 at the Mingyang Base of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, located in Nanning, China. The experiment was conducted on red soil with the following characteristics: pH 7.1, organic matter 8.7%, nitrogen (N) 449 mg/kg, phosphorus pentoxide (P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e5\u003c/sub\u003e) 430 mg/kg, potassium oxide (K\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO) 3928 mg/kg, and total selenium content in the soil of 0.23 mg/kg.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.2 Experimental design\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe experiment was conducted in 2018 at the Mingyang Base of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, located in a greenhouse (latitude N: 31\u0026deg;24\u0026apos;18.97\u0026quot;, longitude E: 121\u0026deg;29\u0026apos;21.88\u0026quot;). Pot experiments were employed. The experiment was conducted on red soil with the following characteristics: pH 7.1, organic matter 8.7%, nitrogen (N) 449 mg/kg, phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) 430 mg/kg, potassium oxide (K\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO) 3928 mg/kg, and total selenium content in the soil of 0.23 mg/kg.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe experimental design included a control group (CK, without selenium addition) and four selenium fertilizer gradients: selenite (4, 8, 12, 16) mg/kg, totaling five treatment groups. Each group had three replicates, making a total of 45 pots. Each pot was fertilized with compound fertilizer (17:17:17) at 9 grams, potassium sulfate (51%) at 9 grams, and mixed evenly with the same soil as base fertilizer. After the addition of selenite, the pots were left for two weeks before planting.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA randomized complete block design with 15 replicates was used, with each pot planting two sweet potato .\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.3\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003esampling\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the experimental plan, samples are collected at 50, 70, 90, 110, and 130 days after planting. Indoor investigations are conducted to assess the branching number and vine length of individual plants, which are then divided into four parts: roots, stems, leaves, and tubers for analysis. Each part is weighed, bagged, and dried in an oven to calculate both tuber dry yield and fresh tuber yield. For soluble sugars, reducing sugars, and protein determination, samples are taken from fresh tuber chunks, washed, and dried. One portion of the samples is used for soluble sugars, reducing sugars, and protein analysis, while another portion is sliced, dried, ground into powder, and utilized for starch, lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and selenium content determination.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethod for fresh tuber yield determination:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eMature tubers from each pot are collected, weighed on a scale, and repeated three times to obtain an average.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethod for tuber dry yield determination:\u003c/strong\u003e All tubers are cut into shreds, oven-dried to a constant weight, repeated three times, and averaged.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVine length (cm):\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe length from the stem base to the stem tip is measured three times.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethod for soluble sugars determination:\u003c/strong\u003e 2.0 grams of sweet potato powder are placed into a 150-milliliter beaker and mixed with approximately 40 milliliters of 80% ethanol solution. After sealing the beaker with a film, the mixture is magnetically stirred at 45 degrees Celsius for 2 hours. Once cooled to room temperature, the solution is adjusted to 50 milliliters. The solution is then centrifuged, filtered through a 0.45-micrometer filter membrane, and transferred to sample bottles for further analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethod for reducing sugars determination:\u003c/strong\u003e Copper sulfate method is employed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethod for starch determination:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe defatted and desugared samples are transferred twice into test tubes with 15 milliliters of distilled water each time. Then, 10 milliliters of hydrochloric acid solution (1+1) are added to the test tube, mixed, and heated in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. The degree of hydrolysis is then tested using iodine solution. After cooling, the solution is adjusted to 100 milliliters, centrifuged at 8,000 rpm for 10 minutes at 25 degrees Celsius, and 20 milliliters of supernatant is taken. 30 milliliters of distilled water and sodium hydroxide solution (200 grams per liter) are added to adjust the pH to 7~7.3, then the solution is brought to 100 milliliters and mixed well for later use.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethod for protein determination:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e1 gram of sweet potato sample is placed into a 500-milliliter Kjeldahl flask and thoroughly mixed with 30 milliliters of water. Then, 15 milliliters of 10% barium chloride solution are added to the flask and shaken. Subsequently, 40~50 milliliters of 45% sodium hydroxide solution are added, and a distillation apparatus is immediately connected. The distillation tube is immersed in a graduated cylinder containing 40 milliliters of 2% borax and 2 drops of methyl red-bromothymol blue mixed indicator. After ensuring thorough mixing, the distillation is started. When the volume of the distillate reaches 60 milliliters (total volume 100 milliliters), the distillation process is stopped. Finally, the absorbent liquid is titrated with 0.05 moles per liter standard hydrochloric acid solution, and the volume consumed is recorded.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDetermination of heavy metal content in sweet potatoes:\u003c/strong\u003e Various varieties of sweet potatoes are first rinsed with tap water, then washed with distilled water, air-dried, sliced, and dried at 400 degrees Celsius, followed by grinding and sieving through a 200-mesh sieve. After sampling, they are treated with a mixture of HNO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (AR) and HClO\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e (AR) in a ratio of 4:1, and the volume is adjusted to 2000 milliliters for heavy metal content determination. Soil samples are air-dried, sieved through a 2 mm nylon sieve to remove impurities, further ground with agate mortar, sieved through a 100-mesh nylon sieve, and then a certain amount of soil sample is taken for heavy metal determination. Using nitric acid-hydrofluoric acid and other high-purity reagents for complete digestion, all heavy metal elements in the soil samples are transferred into the test solution, and then their heavy metal content is determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.4\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eData analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;The data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance, with mean separation conducted through Duncan\u0026apos;s multiple range test, following a significance level of 0.05. SPSS software version 14.0 was employed for the analysis.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Result","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3. 1 Effects of selenium application on agronomic characters and yield of sweet potato\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to Table \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, it is evident that after selenium application, there is an overall upward trend in the number of branches, maximum vine length, and number of tubers per sweet potato plant. When the selenium concentration is 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, the number of branches per plant reaches its maximum value, showing a 37% increase compared to the control group (CK). When selenium concentrations are 12 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e and 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, the longest vine lengths are observed compared to the CK. Meanwhile, when selenium concentration is 8 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, the lengths are similar to the CK. The highest number of tubers per plant is found in the treatment with 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e of selenium, showing a 9% increase compared to the CK. The fresh tuber yield significantly increased under selenium application at concentrations of 12 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e and 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, showing a 29% and 31% increase compared to other treatments, respectively. Similarly, the dry tuber yield exhibited a consistent pattern with the fresh tuber yield under selenium application, showing a 25% and 26% increase compared to the CK, respectively. From the above, it can be seen that moderate selenium application can increase the number of branches per plant, maximum vine length, and number of tubers per plant, thereby increasing yield. The best effect is observed at a concentration of 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e.。\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003ctable id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\n \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003csup\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Effect of selenium application on agronomic traits of sweet potato\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/div\u003e\n \u003c/caption\u003e\n \u003cthead\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSe processing(mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of branches per plant\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(pieces)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMaximum vine length\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(cm)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNumber of potatoes produced per plant\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(pieces)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFresh potato yield\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(g)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDried potato yield\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(g)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCK\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.93c\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e110.12a\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.67a\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e213.67a\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e44.58a\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSe4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10ab\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e105.71a\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.50a\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e268.55ab\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003cth align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e55.38a\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/th\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/thead\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSe8\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e9.43b\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e110.93a\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e5.50a\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e227.97ab\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e50.37a\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSe12\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e9.18bc\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e114.48a\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e6.67a\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e276.18ab\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e55.57a\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSe16\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e10.87a\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e115.86a\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e7.33a\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e278.95a\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd align=\"left\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e56.13a\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.2 Effect of selenium application on nutritional quality of sweet potato\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.2.1 Effect of selenium application on soluble sugar and reducing sugar of sweet potato\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, it is evident that the application of selenium significantly influences the soluble sugar content of sweet potatoes, and overall, it demonstrates a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing with the increase in selenium concentration. Compared to the control group (CK), the soluble sugar content of sweet potatoes significantly increases after selenium application, with the greatest increase observed at a selenium concentration of 8 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. It triples compared to the CK group. However, when the selenium content surpasses 8 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, there is a significant decrease in the soluble sugar content, which demonstrates an increasing trend compared to the CK group. The trend in reducing sugar content is opposite; after selenium application, the reducing sugar content of sweet potatoes significantly decreases, showing declines of 28%, 25%, 52%, and 33% respectively compared to CK, with the most significant decrease observed at a selenium concentration of 12 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. From this, it can be observed that moderate selenium application significantly increases the soluble sugar content of sweet potatoes. However, beyond a certain range, the increasing trend in soluble sugar content decreases, while the reducing sugar content decreases.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.2.2 Effect of selenium application on protein of sweet potato\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, it is evident that after selenium application, the protein content of sweet potatoes significantly decreases, showing a trend of initial decline followed by slow increase. After selenium application, the protein content of sweet potatoes decreases by 17\u0026ndash;32%. The most significant decrease in protein content occurs at a selenium concentration of 4 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, followed by the 8 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e treatment, which decreases by 23%. Overall, it can be observed that selenium application significantly reduces the protein content of sweet potatoes, with the most pronounced effect observed at a selenium concentration of 4 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.2.3 Effect of selenium application on sweet potato starch\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, it is evident that after selenium application, the starch content in sweet potatoes significantly decreases, and it exhibits a trend of initially increasing, then decreasing, and then slowly increasing again with the selenium concentration. Compared to CK, selenium fertilizer increases the starch content of sweet potatoes. At selenium application rates of 4 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, 8 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, 12 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, and 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, the starch content increases by 6%, 3%, 6%, and 6% respectively, with the greatest increase observed at a selenium application rate of 4 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. These results indicate that selenium fertilizer can enhance the starch content of sweet potatoes, consistent with the trends observed for soluble sugar content.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.2.4 Effect of selenium application on heavy metals in sweet potato\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e(A), it is evident that, except for the treatment with a selenium concentration of 4 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, all treatments have increased the accumulation of lead in sweet potatoes. The lead content in sweet potatoes increases with the increase in selenium concentration. When applied at concentrations of 8 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, 12 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, and 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, the lead content in sweet potatoes increased by 17%, 15%, and 20%, respectively, compared to the control (CK), except at the concentration of 4 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. Selenium fertilizer affects cadmium accumulation differently from lead accumulation. Compared to the control, all treatments have reduced the cadmium content in sweet potatoes (Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003eB). At selenium concentrations of 4 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e and 12 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, there is no significant difference in the downward trend, with decreases of 29% and 32%, respectively. Similarly, at selenium concentrations of 8 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e and 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, there is no significant difference, with decreases of 37% and 38%, respectively. When compared with CK, except for the selenium application rate of 12 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, all other treatments have enhanced the accumulation of mercury in sweet potatoes (Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003eC). At selenium application rates of 4 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, 8 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, and 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, mercury accumulation increased by 14%, 23%, and 11% respectively, while in the remaining treatments, mercury accumulation significantly decreased by 6%. From Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e(D), it can be observed that compared to CK, there was no change in the arsenic content in sweet potatoes at selenium application rates of 12 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e and 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. However, at a selenium application rate of 4 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, the arsenic content significantly decreased by 29%, while at a rate of 8 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, it increased significantly by 10%.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, selenium application affects the absorption and accumulation of lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic in sweet potatoes. The cadmium content in sweet potatoes significantly decreased, while the others increased to some extent.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.3 Total selenium content\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e(A) illustrates the accumulation of selenium under different treatments and the distribution ratio of selenium accumulation among the roots, stems, leaves, and tubers. The total selenium content in roots, stems, leaves, and tubers increases with the selenium concentration, with the highest total selenium content observed under the 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e treatment, at 0.0005, 0.0081, 0.0206, 0.0519, and 0.1033 mg, respectively, significantly higher than other treatments. Across different selenium concentrations, the order of accumulation is tubers\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;stems\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;leaves\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;roots, indicating that tubers are most efficient in selenium accumulation. These results suggest that the amount of selenium fertilizer has a specific impact on selenium accumulation in sweet potatoes, With the increase in soil selenium concentration, the selenium content in the roots, stems, leaves, and tubers of sweet potatoes significantly increases.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e(B), it is evident that there are significant differences in selenium absorption rates among sweet potatoes under different selenium treatments. Compared to the CK group, the selenium accumulation per plant increased by 20, 37, 99, and 159 times, respectively, when the selenium application rates were 4 mg/kg-1, 8 mg/kg-1, 12 mg/kg-1, and 16 mg/kg-1. Selenium accumulation increased with higher selenium application rates. Specifically, when the selenium application rate was 16 mg/kg-1, the selenium accumulation per plant reached its highest level.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.4 Effect of soil selenium concentration on selenium components and utilization in tuber\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe utilization efficiency of selenium indicates the effective absorption of selenium in crops. Before selenium application, the selenium utilization efficiency of sweet potatoes was 23%, indicating that less than half of the selenium was utilized. After selenium application, the selenium utilization efficiency of sweet potatoes increased by 35%, 33%, 58%, and 70%, respectively, suggesting that increasing soil selenium supply is an effective means of enhancing selenium utilization efficiency in sweet potatoes (Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003eA). These results underscore the significant impact of selenium treatment on selenium accumulation in sweet potatoes.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIrrespective of adding selenite or selenate to the soil, there were no detection of Se differences in the tubers with different treatments. However, the percentage of SeCys2, SeMeCys, SeMet, and unknowns were different in the experimental treatments (Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003eB). With an increase of soil Se concentration, the percentage of SeMeCys in tubers gradually decreased. In the treatment of Se16, the proportion of unknown components in tubers increased significantly.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eEffect of selenium application on growth of sweet potato Nutritional research on selenium has become one of the key focuses of micronutrient studies worldwide, especially in European and American countries. The impact of different selenium application rates varies across plants.It has been reported that selenium fertilization can increase the chlorophyll content in plant leaves and the photosynthetic capacity of oats, thereby enhancing photosynthesis and increasing oat yield(Li et al. 2021);Selenium fertilizer has been shown to ameliorate sodium uptake in green bean plants under salt stress, enhancing the absorption of antioxidants and consequently increasing green bean yield. Additionally, it alleviates the adverse effects of drought on rapeseed(Ahmad et al. 2021; Kaur and Nayyar \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) .\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eW\u0026oacute;jcik et al. found that selenium fertilizer can positively enhance the quality and post-harvest storage tolerance of apples (W\u0026oacute;jcik et al. 2024) .The results of this study indicate a positive correlation between the number of branches per plant, the longest vine length, the number of tubers per plant, and yield with the application of selenium, with the best performance observed at 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. Moderate application of selenium fertilizer can promote vine growth, increase branching, and enhance tuber formation, while excessive selenium application may reduce yield.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEffect of selenium application on nutritional quality of sweet potato\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSelenium fertilizer not only enhances sweet potato yield but also improves its nutritional quality. Research by Zhu et al. demonstrates that an appropriate application of selenium fertilizer can increase the levels of sugars, organic acids, and amino acids in tomatoes (Zhu et al. 2018). Selenium fertilizer increases the wax on the surface of spring wheat, thereby reducing moisture loss and ensuring the taste of wheat (Zhang et al. 2024) .Selenium yeast increases the vitamin C content and free amino acids in broccoli(Gui et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Selenium fertilizer increases the chlorophyll content, internode length, plant height, and ear height of upland maize (Wang et al. 2022). In this experiment, an appropriate amount of selenium application significantly increases the soluble sugar and starch content of sweet potatoes, while reducing the content of reducing sugar and protein. The soluble sugar content of sweet potatoes is highest at a selenium concentration of 8 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, while the protein and starch content are highest at a selenium concentration of 4 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoil heavy metal content is related to plants(Pietrelli et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Selenium, as a negatively charged non-metal ion, can bind with positively charged harmful metal ions in organisms, forming metal-selenium protein complexes. These complexes directly expel harmful metal ions that can induce carcinogenesis, thereby mitigating the toxicity of metal ions and serving a detoxifying and expelling function. Studies indicate that selenium reduces the harm of arsenic to rice plants, diminishes the migration of cadmium from roots to shoots in seedlings, thereby altering the growth of rice (Kumar et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Wan et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e) .The activation of PAL and chalcone synthase (CHS) genes by Se reduces the impact of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and anthocyanins in Arabidopsis under chromium stress (Asgher et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Handa et al. 2019; Hasanuzzaman et al. 2020) .In this experiment, it was observed that selenium application affects the absorption and accumulation of lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic in sweet potatoes. While the cadmium content decreased significantly, the others showed an increase, indicating the need for further exploration of the dosage of selenium fertilizer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe selenium content in plants typically ranges from 0.02 to 1.00 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, with plants grown in selenium-rich soil generally having selenium levels exceeding 2 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. Plant selenium content is largely determined by soil selenium levels, and selenium supplementation in soil can effectively increase plant selenium content. Xia et al(Xia et al. 2020) found that selenium application increased the uptake rate of selenium from roots to aboveground parts in purple-grain wheat, resulting in a higher translocation rate from aboveground parts to seeds. In certain regions with high selenium levels, plants exhibit increased selenium absorption, such as high-selenium rice varieties, which can uptake selenium from the soil and subsequently transfer it to the grains, thereby enhancing the selenium content in rice(Liu et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e) .These findings suggest that soil selenium levels contribute to increasing crop selenium content. In this experiment, the total selenium content in roots, stems, leaves, and tubers increases with selenium concentration, with the highest total selenium content observed in the 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e treatment. Across different selenium concentrations, the order of total selenium content is tubers\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;stems\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;leaves\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;roots, indicating that tubers have the highest selenium content. It is therefore speculated that tubers, being closest to the soil, may have the easiest selenium absorption, resulting in the highest content.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eSelenium application promotes the growth of sweet potatoes, improves their nutritional quality, and consequently enhances yield. Adequate selenium application increases the number of branches, the length of vines, the number of tubers per plant, and overall yield of sweet potatoes. The optimal effect is observed at a selenium dosage of 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e, where the number of branches, the length of vines, and the number of tubers per plant are maximized. Simultaneously, selenium application can alter the nutritional quality and metal content of sweet potatoes. With the increase in selenium concentration, the accumulation of selenium among the roots, stems, leaves, and tubers also gradually increases.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work was supported by \u0026nbsp;National Natural Science Foundation of China Project (No. 32060469),\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMinistry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs: National Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System Project (CARS-10-C17),\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpecial Funding Project for Basic Research Business of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Guinongke 2021YT022; Guinongke 2023YM02),\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScience and Technology Development Fund Project of Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Guinongke 2021ZX09; Guinongke 2021ZX13),\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGuangxi Natural Science Foundation General Project (No. 2022GXNSFAA035558),\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGuangxi Key Research and Development Plan (No. 2023AB19019).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll authors contributed to the conception and design of this study. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Huifeng Li ,Yanqing Li ,Yongmei Huang ,Jingfeng Hua and Jie Yin. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Y Huifeng Li and Yixuan Zhang, reviewed and revised by Dong Xiao. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics declarations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAhmad Z, Anjum S, Skalicky M, Waraich E A, Muhammad Sabir Tariq R, Ayub M A, Hossain A, Hassan M M, Brestic M, Sohidul Islam M, Habib-Ur-Rahman M, Wasaya A, Aamir Iqbal M and El Sabagh A 2021 Selenium Alleviates the Adverse Effect of Drought in Oilseed Crops Camelina ( Camelina sativa L.) and Canola ( Brassica napus L.). Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) 26, 1699.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAsgher M, Rehaman A, Islam S N U, Arshad M and Khan N A 2023 Appraisal of Functions and Role of Selenium in Heavy Metal Stress Adaptation in Plants. 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FOOD CHEM 252, 9-15.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"acta-physiologiae-plantarum","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"acpp","sideBox":"Learn more about [Acta Physiologiae Plantarum](http://link.springer.com/journal/11738)","snPcode":"11738","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/acpp/default2.aspx","title":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"sweet potato, The amount of selenium applied, Yield, Quality, Selenium accumulation","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4653561/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4653561/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe study focuses on the Gui 10 sweet potato variety, with different concentrations of selenium fertilizer applied (0, 4, 8, 12, and 14 mg/kg). The effects of selenium fertilizer on the agronomic traits, nutritional quality, yield, and selenium absorption of sweet potatoes are investigated to determine the optimal selenium supply level for the Gui 10 sweet potato variety, while also providing insights for the development of sweet potatoes. The results indicate that exogenous selenium supplementation increases the number of branches per plant, the longest vine length, and the number of tubers per plant, promoting the absorption of nutrients by sweet potatoes, thereby enhancing yield (by 26%). The contents of soluble sugar and starch show an increase, while the contents of reducing sugar and protein demonstrate a decrease. Additionally, selenium application significantly enhances selenium content in various parts of sweet potatoes, with the order of tuber\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;stem\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;leaf\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;root observed across different selenium application concentrations, indicating that tubers are the most susceptible to selenium accumulation. These findings suggest that the amount of selenium fertilizer has a specific impact on selenium accumulation in sweet potatoes. In conclusion, the optimal selenium application concentration for improving soil fertility, promoting sweet potato growth, enhancing quality, and increasing yield is 16 mg/kg\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The impact of selenium fertilizer application on the yield, quality, and selenium accumulation characteristics of various sweet potato varieties","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-08-14 06:35:57","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4653561/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2024-08-01T08:11:26+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2024-07-20T05:27:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-06-29T12:54:06+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","date":"2024-06-28T05:12:57+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"acta-physiologiae-plantarum","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"acpp","sideBox":"Learn more about [Acta Physiologiae Plantarum](http://link.springer.com/journal/11738)","snPcode":"11738","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/acpp/default2.aspx","title":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"2c617f4d-6e29-4de2-b46e-64938a1dec3a","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 14th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-03T16:04:56+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-4653561","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-025-03846-w","journal":{"identity":"acta-physiologiae-plantarum","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum"},"publishedOn":"2025-10-27 15:58:01","publishedOnDateReadable":"October 27th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-08-14 06:35:57","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s11738-025-03846-w","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-025-03846-w","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4653561","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4653561","identity":"rs-4653561","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"cTy_lsJlmDsVRNrSptgXS","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}