Effect of Foliar Sodium Selenate on Leaf Senescence of Fragrant Rice in South China

Selenium (Se) is an essential element to humans, animals and plants, but little is known about roles of Se in yield and antioxidant enzyme activities of rice. In this study, sodium selenate with 10 (T1), 30 (T2) and 50 (T3) mol L -1 concentrations and distilled water (CK) were sprayed onto rice cultivars, or more precisely Meixiangzhan-2 at rupturing stage during the experiments in South China, 2017. Treatments were arranged in a split-plot design with three replications. The result showed that spraying 10, 30 and 50 mol L -1 sodium selenate at rupturing stage could improve the activities of oxidant enzymes such as peroxidase (POD), superoxide (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and lower the malonaldehyde (MDA) concentrations at filling stage. Furthermore, Se applications could enhance the chlorophyll content at middle and late phase of filling stage and grain yield at maturity. Therefore, Se applications could alleviate the detrimental effects of rice leaf senescence by regulating the activity of enzymatic antioxidants and also increasing chlorophyll content at the filling stage which will be helpful to sustain growth and yield formation in rice production.