ABSTRACT
Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for humans and its function includes preventing diseases, improving health, and delaying aging. The area of Se-rich soil in Guangxi is 2.12 million hm2, and the maximum content of Se in soil is 2.29 mg/kg. However, the Se-rich soils in Guangxi are mostly acidic, and the Se in the soils is mostly insoluble complex iron selenite, leading to the low availability of Se and directly affecting its utilization. The bioavailability of Se in soil is significantly affected by environmental microorganisms which can change the form and valence of Se through their activity. The tolerance of soil microorganisms to Se was bacteria > fungi > actinomycetes (Liao et al. 2017). Soil bacteria can transform inorganic Se and grow well in high Se environment. Therefore, in this study bacteria were isolated from Se-enriched soil. The Se-tolerant bacteria were then screened by Se-containing medium, and the Se-enriched strains were screened by Se-enriched test. Lastly, the high-efficiency Se-transforming bacteria were identified. This research provides information about using specific bacteria for the improving the utilization of Se resources in soil and promoting the production of Se-enriched agricultural commodities.
