Selenium tolerance, salt tolerance, and selenium accumulation in tall fescue lines

High levels of soil salinity and Se concentration are coexisting problems in the San Joaquin Valley, California. Tall fescue is a potentially useful crop plant for land management in soils containing elevated concentrations of Se and salinity. Information regarding its physiological mechanism and genetic variation of Se accumulation in this species is scant. Thirteen tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) lines were examined for Se and salt tolerances and Se accumulation in nutrient solution culture. Genetic variation of both Se and salt tolerances was detected among six American cultivars and seven worldwide tall fescue lines. Selenium tolerance and salt tolerance are independent of each other and are negatively correlated with tissue Se and salt concentrations. These relationships suggest that an exclusion mechanism is responsible for the tolerance. This diversity of Se and salt tolerance and Se accumulation among the tall fescue lines is important for the application of this species for land management.