Promotion of growth in mungbean (Phaseolus aureus Roxb.) by selenium is associated with stimulation of carbohydrate metabolism.

The mungbean plants were grown hydroponically in the absence (control) or presence of 0.1, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 ppm selenium (as sodium selenate) for 10 days. The growth of shoots and roots increased with application of selenium with greater extent in shoots. With 0.5 and 0.75 ppm Se levels, the shoot growth was stimulated by 24% to 27% over control, respectively, while the roots showed a corresponding increase of 18-19%, respectively. The shoot-to-root ratio was enhanced significantly with Se application and maximum effects occurred at 0.75 ppm Se. A significant increase was observed in chlorophyll and cellular respiration ability with 0.5 and 0.75 ppm selenium. The increase in growth by selenium was accompanied by elevation of starch, sucrose and reducing sugars. The activity of starch hydrolysing enzymes--amylases and sucrose hydrolysing enzyme--invertase was stimulated significantly with selenium. This was associated with elevation of activities of sucrose synthesising enzymes--sucrose synthase and sucrose phosphate synthase. It was concluded that increase in growth of shoots and roots by application of Se was possibly the result of up-regulation of enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism thus providing energy substrates for enhanced growth.