Interactive effects of selenium and fertigation regimes on strawberry performance and biofortification under salinity stress

Summary

This controlled-environment factorial experiment examined how timing and frequency of nutrient delivery (fertigation regime) and selenium supplementation interact to support strawberry performance and micronutrient biofortification under saline conditions. The morning-only Hoagland treatment with 1 mg L−1 selenium showed the strongest performance, reducing yield loss to 24% under 40 mM NaCl salinity whilst achieving fruit selenium concentrations of 2.2–3.1 mg kg−1 dry weight and enhanced antioxidant status. The findings suggest that optimising both nutrient solution timing and selenium dose is a practical strategy for protected production systems operating in salt-affected environments.

Regional applicability

The study was conducted in a controlled environment with soilless cultivation (perlite–coir mixture), making findings most directly applicable to intensive glasshouse or polytunnel strawberry production systems prevalent in the United Kingdom and northern Europe. Transferability to field conditions or regions with different cultivars requires further validation; the authors explicitly note that regime-dependent responses should be evaluated in other strawberry cultivars and Se doses optimised case-by-case.

Key measures

Yield loss, root and shoot dry weight, free radical inhibition, anthocyanin content, superoxide dismutase activity, potassium and calcium accumulation, fruit selenium concentration (mg kg−1 dry weight)

Outcomes reported

The study measured strawberry yield, plant biomass, antioxidant responses, mineral accumulation, and fruit selenium concentration under combined salinity stress, selenium supplementation, and four different fertigation regimes. Morning-only Hoagland ferigation combined with selenium was identified as most effective in reducing yield loss and enhancing biofortification.

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