Characterization of Rice Germplasms for Sufficient Selenium and Low Arsenic Accumulation in Grains

Arsenic (As) contamination of soil is a serious problem limiting the rice grain nutrients production. Aim of this study was to identify the low grain As and sufficient selenium (Se) accumulating cultivars which may be suitable for human consumption and cultivation in As prone areas. Field trials at As contaminated sites of West Bengal, India were conducted to assess total As, inorganic arsenic (iAs) and Se content in rice grains by using HPLC-ICP-MS. Over a period of two years, 89 rice cultivars were cultivated at three different sites in West Bengal (India) having variable soil-As level. Selenium and As content in rice grains of various cultivars revealed that the number of safe cultivars decreased with increasing soil As level and also showed negative corelation (R=-0.997 **) between grain As and Se accumulation. However, total As content showed a positive correlation (R=0.903 *) with grain iAs content, while Se content in rice grains was negatively affected by As uptake. Only ten cultivars viz., IET-4786, CN1646-5, CN1794-2, Dusmix-40, S. Sankar, IR-64, IET-19226, Nayanmoni, CN1643-3 and CN1646-2 accumulating low grain As had sufficient Se. Therefore, cultivation of these ten genotypes may reduce the risk of possible dietary human As exposure and thus may be recommended for the cultivation in As affected areas in India.