GROW TEC SELENIUM
Enhancing Nutrition Through The Seed
Selenium GT….
The solution to the selenium deficiency problem.
Introduction to the selenium deficiency problem:)
Large areas of North America (including most of the eastern and western coastal areas of the US and Canada), Northern Europe, China and Australia/New Zealand produce feed crops that are deficient in the trace essential element, selenium (Se), to meet the requirements of livestock.
Se deficiency causes significant losses in the dairy, beef, pork and poultry industries due to white muscle disease, unthriftiness, reduced immune function, reduced growth, increased mortality and retained placenta.
In humans, selenium along with Vitamin E is considered to serve as an antioxidant for improving immune function and metabolism of dietary fat.
Current methods of selenium supplementation:)
In many countries, Se is routinely provided to livestock in free choice mineral supplements, injections and mixed feeds.
Problems with current methods are:
- Free choice supplements result in Se levels that are affected by animal preferences.
- Injections with a mixture of Vitamin E and selenium are costly and a short term treatment.
- Premix is relatively more expensive and unsuitable for farmers using homegrown feeds.
Selenium in the above products is in the inorganic form, namely sodium selenite.
New opportunity for selenium supplementation:
Crops may be enriched to a degree with selenium added to fertilizers but because Se is required in trace amounts, a more precise method, using seed coating technology is required.
Grow Tec in partnership with Agriculture Canada has developed a patented process to enrich feed through seed applied selenium.
The seed coating approach has many advantages: it is accurate, safe, offers flexible application rates and can be applied in conjunction with other seed treatments.
Research results show:
Levels of Se in the control (no Se applied to the seed) corn plants were approximately 2.7 to 9.1 ppb in the small plot trials conducted in 1991 – 1993. Similar background levels of Se were observed in 1995 and in large scale farmer trials conducted in 1996. These rates are typical for crops grown in coastal B.C. and other low Se areas around the world.
Applied Se increased Se content in the corn in a linear fashion in all trials. For every 10g/ha increase in Se treatment, Se concentration in the corn increased by 120 – 180 ppb. Importantly, this response was consistent from year to year of the study.
The target level for Se in feed depends on the overall feeding program and safe levels legislated in various countries. To obtain 300 ppb, a level considered desirable in many jurisdictions, the application rate should be 16-21g Se/ha.
The percentage of the applied Se that was taken up by the crop ranged from 20 – 25% in all trial years. The percentage of uptake was not affected by the Se application rate.
Soybeans from Se treated crop were crushed using standard crushing and extraction practices and the oil and meal analyzed. Concentrations of Se in the oil did not change from the untreated check (<.0025 ppb) whereas Se levels in the meal increased significantly.
In the meal the low Se rate resulted in 1225 ppb; the high (2X) Se rate was 4630 ppb. Background levels in the untreated check were < 9 ppb. Hence the Se partitions into the meal portion of the crushed grain.
Advantages of organic selenium:
Enriched feed through seed applied selenium contains enhanced levels of organic Se. Organic Se is utilized and retained differently than the inorganic form. Organic Se is more effectively retained by animal tissue.
Selenium GT:
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