Review article
https://doi.org/10.33128/k.67.1.5
Selenium-biofortified forage in ruminants’ nutrition
Zvonko Antunović
; Fakultet agrobiotehničkih znanosti Osijek, Sveučilište J. J. Strossmayera u Osijeku, Osijek, Hrvatska
Željka Klir Šalavardić
orcid.org/0000-0003-4078-6864
; Fakultet agrobiotehničkih znanosti Osijek, Sveučilište J. J. Strossmayera u Osijeku, Osijek, Hrvatska
Josip Novoselec
; Fakultet agrobiotehničkih znanosti Osijek, Sveučilište J. J. Strossmayera u Osijeku, Osijek, Hrvatska
Abstract
Forage is a primary source of feed for ruminants’ nutrition. Thus, the aim of this paper is to present the available research, with a purpose to increase the selenium concentration in forage through selenium biofortification and to determine such feeding concerning the production traits, metabolic response, and antioxidant status. Selenium is an essential element for animals, but its deficiency is widespread in soils worldwide. This is the reason for the detection of appropriate procedures/methods in order to optimize selenium concentrations in human foodstuffs and animal feedstuffs. There are numerous reasons for a pronounced selenium deficiency in the soil-plant-animal-human food chain. One of these procedures is biofortification of crops/feedstuffs aimed for the production of animal feed with the increased selenium concentrations. It is based on the application of mineral fertilizers, which optimizes their application and/or improves the availability and mobilization of minerals in the soil and increases its content in feedstuffs/crops. The inorganic forms of selenium (i.e., selenite and selenate) are mostly used in soil fertilization or foliar application, when the crops transform them into an organic form, with selenate being more available and foliar application being a more efficient and economically acceptable method. Available research has confirmed that biofortification of forage with selenium has proven to be a very successful method in the optimization of selenium concentrations in crops/feeds, with the achievement of appropriate selenium concentrations in the ruminants’ organisms
Keywords
biofortification; selenium; forage; ruminants
Hrčak ID:
333353
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2025.
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