Biological Nano-Selenium for Eggplant Biofortification under Soil Nutrient Deficiency.

SOIL nutrient deficiency is a real challenge facing the crop production under sandy soils conditions. This challenge has an increase concern all over the world specially to produce biofortified crops for overcome many human health problems like malnutrition. The current study was carried out to evaluate production of biofortified eggplant enriched in selenium (Se) using biological nano-Se and its bulk form under soil nutrient deficiency stress. In general, the applied 30 ppm of bulk Se-fertilizer achieved many studied attributes, whereas the highest applied dose of biological nano-Se (40 ppm) may need higher doses without recoding toxicity on eggplants. Applied bionano Se recorded an increase up to 100% compared to the control in Se content in eggplant fruits, although this increase in both fruit and leaves were not toxic and the mean values of Se content in fruits were lower than leaves in both seasons and both were in the allowable Se content for human diet. To develop a full picture of eggplant biofortification with Se, additional studies will be needed to answer more open questions regarding producing a safe and healthy eggplant for human nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]