Antioxidant selenium ‘surprise’ discovery provides late blight protection  | 24CA News

In 2014, Charlottetown-based analysis scientist Bourlaye Fofana was in search of a option to make plant merchandise more healthy by including the antioxidant selenium.

Selenium is a mineral that is present in soil, water and a few meals. The micronutrient is vital within the diets of people and animals.

But whereas he was investigating its dietary advantages, Fofana’s analysis led to a shocking discovery:

When selenium was sprayed on potato leaves, it boosted safety the crops have in opposition to late blight, a illness that may rapidly devastate potato and tomato crops.

“Working on late blight came, I would say, by accident,” mentioned Fofana, a geneticist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

“Our interest was how to increase [the] antioxidant capacity of crops.”

‘Very shocked’

The researchers added selenium to flax, soybean and potato crops, and observed constructive outcomes. 

They then wished to see what influence it might have in stopping illness, beginning with late blight.

First, they soaked potato seeds with a selenium resolution earlier than planting them, and sprayed the leaves with it. But they quickly concluded treating solely the leaves of the rising plant can be sufficient.

The researchers did their checks within the greenhouse, and in vitro within the lab. Fofana was so shocked by the outcomes that he ran the checks greater than as soon as.

“We noticed that there was a very low incidence of the disease in those that were treated with different concentrations of selenium,” Fofana mentioned. “I asked [to] repeat that three times again, because I want to make sure before we… publish that.”

In the 1840s, late blight was responsible for main European crop failures and the Irish Potato Famine, which prompted widespread starvation and drove an estimated 2 million individuals to depart their homeland for North America and different locations.

Fofana examined the selenium on two different plant pathogens in vitro, with equal success.

“We were very surprised. I was astonished with stopping the growth and sporulation of the pathogens,” he mentioned.

While the lab checks have been profitable, Fofana mentioned he cannot strive selenium in an precise area setting as a result of the checks might launch late blight spores into the atmosphere. 

Organic growers excited

Fofana has been working with P.E.I. natural producers who’re excited concerning the potential selenium has as a pure option to chase away late blight.

“Organic producers, in particular, only have one product that they can use to effectively control late blight on tomato or potato crops. And that is copper, or copper sulfate,” mentioned Karen Murchison, analysis co-ordinator for the P.E.I. Certified Organic Producers Co-op. 

It’s a devastating illness for the potato crop, and it may well destroy a crop each within the area and in storage.—Karen Murchison, P.E.I. Certified Organic Producers Co-operative 

“It has its challenges. It’s a heavy metal and it accumulates in the soil, and so there are issues around continued and ongoing use of that product.

“So our farmers are all the time in search of new methods to handle and management late blight on their farms.

“Selenium being a product that is sort of benign, and is a naturally occurring element in nature, it’s a product that … creates a lot of excitement for our farmers.”

Murchison mentioned selenium can even be of curiosity to traditional farmers who wish to scale back their pesticide use as effectively. 

She mentioned blight is a large problem, particularly for natural growers.

“It’s a devastating disease for the potato crop, and it can destroy a crop both in the field and in storage,” Murchison mentioned. 

“It’s something that has to be managed; it has to be controlled. Otherwise our farmers can suffer severe crop losses and severe financial losses as a result.”