Effects of Se and Co Combined Fertilizer on Production of Alfalfa

Selenium(Se) and cobalt (Co) are important essential trace elements for forage and animal production (Yang et al. 1998, Arvy 1993). The supplementation of Se in animal diet significantly increases Se-Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px ) activities in the liver, testes, spermatozoa and seminal plasma (Abdelrahman et al.1998), Selenium is also a key component of a number of functional seleno-proteins. GSH-Px is the best characterized of the family of selenoproteins. In Henan Province, the fine grass and green milk production zones are mainly distributed along the riverbank of the Yellow River where soils are sandy and sterile with lower Se and Co contents (Lu et al. 2003). Deficiency of Se and Co in soils affects local forage and animal production level, as well as the qualities and securities of fodder and animal products (Rotruck et al. 2003). This experiment was carried out to determine the impacts of the application combined Se and Co on the quality of alfalfa hay.