CHAPTER 18: Biofortification of Legumes with Selenium in Semiarid Conditions

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for animals and humans. Between 500 and 1000 million people have an inadequate intake of Se. Se deficiency in humans is related to about 40 different diseases. Foodstuffs provide the principal route of Se intake for most of the population. Legumes are particularly relevant in Mediterranean areas because they are highly consumed and they are able to accumulate Se in the grain in high concentrations. Thus, agronomic biofortification with Se could be a powerful tool to remedy such deficiency as it may increase the Se concentration in the grain. The research focused on Se biofortification in the Mediterranean area is scarce. The few studies dealing with this aspect show strong evidence of the high potential of legume crops to be used in Se-fertilization programs under the special climatic conditions of the Mediterranean area.