The effects of selenium on wheat fusarium head blight and DON accumulation were selenium compound-dependent

Abstract

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum not only results in severe yield losses, but also contaminates wheat grains with deoxynivalenol (DON) toxins. Prevention and control of FHB and DON contamination rely mainly on resistant varieties and fungicides. Selenium (Se) is an essential element for humans and animals, and also a beneficial element for plants. In this work, four Se compounds, i.e., sodium selenite (Na2SeO3), sodium selenate (Na2SeO4), selenomethionine (SeMet) and selenocysteine (SeCys2), were supplemented in a trichothecene biosynthesis induction (TBI) solid medium at different dosages in in vitro experiments. The four Se compounds at the dosage of 20 mg·L−1 were sprayed onto wheat spikes immediately after inoculation at anthesis. All four of the Se compounds significantly inhibited the mycelial growth and DON production in the in vitro experiment; however, in planta, their effects on FHB severity and toxin accumulation in grains were compound-dependent. SeMet consistently negatively regulated fungal growth and DON accumulation both in vitro and in planta, which could be a novel and proconsumer strategy for reducing the detriment of wheat FHB disease and DON accumulation.