Boron, molybdenum and selenium status in different plant parts in forage legumes and vegetable crops¹

Contribution No. 726, Research Station, Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Charlottetown, P.E.I. C1A 7M8.

Abstract

This study was conducted in Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), Canada to characterize the levels of B, Mo, and Se in the various plant parts of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenck.), Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera Zenker), cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.), and rutabaga (Brassica napobrassica Mill). The three micronutrient anions were consistently highest in the leaves and lowest in the stems. The lower halves of the vegetable crops usually contained close to the highest amounts of B and Mo. In forage legumes, the B concentration was higher in the bottom than in the upper leaves, but B was lower in the bottom than upper stems. Since leaves consistently contained the highest amounts of B and Mo, it is recommended that most recently matured leaves in the Brassica species, and young leaves in forage legumes be sampled to characterize the B and Mo status of these crops. Selenium is of significance to livestock, but not in plant nutrition; therefore, only the parts fed to animals, e.g. the whole vegetative tops of forage legumes, should be used to determine the crop Se status.

Notes

Contribution No. 726, Research Station, Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Charlottetown, P.E.I. C1A 7M8.