Manganese (Mn) and selenium (Se) have been individually reported to mitigate Cd or As accumulation in plants, their combined effects

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the future work and stated research gap and abstract of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2025 and 2026, spanning 3 journals. Those papers have been cited 13 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 3 representative gaps

• Harnessing the Rhizosphere Microbiome for Selenium Biofortification in Plants: Mechanisms, Applications and Future Perspectives (2025) · Microorganisms · cited 8× · doi

  In summary, researchers have increasingly focused not only on the remediation of selenium pollution but also on biofortification strategies and dietary supplementation due Microorganisms 2025, 13, 1234 9 of 13 to the widespread occurrence of selenium deficiency. Establishing a direct biochemical pathway connecting selenium biogeochemical cycling with specific biomarker genes or metagenomic signatures remains challenging. This difficulty arises from the abundance of genes encoding nonspecific selenate/selenite reductases and the currently limited character- ization of enzymes involved in both the methylation and oxidation pathways of selenium. In addition, future studies are expected to prioritize elucidating the diverse enzymatic mechanisms underlying microbial oxidation of selenium (e.g., organic Se, elemental Se). Soil salinization poses a critical threat to global agricultural production, compromising food security, agricultural sustainability, and ecosystem health. Rhizosphere selenium- transforming microorganisms significantly contribute to plant selenium biofortification and salt-alkali tolerance. Specifically, selenium-reducing bacteria synthesize microbial SeNPs, while co-inoculation with selenium-oxidizing bacteria enhances salinity tolerance and selenium content in wheat seedlings. These insights provide a theoretical foundation for (i) utilizing saline-alkali lands, (ii) improving wheat yield/quality via selenium biofortification, and (iii) elucidating rhizosphere microbial symbiosis mechanisms. Such advances are vital for achieving stable microbial colonization and promoting crop resilience. Author Contributions: Conceptualization, manuscript preparation, and writing and editing, R.F. and H.F.; data curation, M.Z. and Y.Z.; critical revision of manuscript and editing, supervision, funding acquisition, R.F., J.L. and H.F. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding: This work was funded by the Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province (242300421100; 242300421586; 242300421533), the Science and Technology Research Project of Henan Province (242102320358), and the Project for Youth Talent Lifting of Henan Province (2024HYTP008). Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable. Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable. Data Availability Statement: No new data were created or analyzed in this study. Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

  generalfuture workevidence 5/5
  Keywords: selenium microbial biofortification manuscript henan province statement microorganisms genes oxidation elucidating mechanisms critical agricultural rhizosphere
• Selenium-Mediated Rhizosphere Blocking and Control Network: Multidimensional Mechanisms for Regulating Heavy Metal Bioavailability (2026) · Agronomy · cited 5× · doi

  The paper identifies a research gap in the interaction mechanisms of different Selenium species. It also highlights the need for precise application strategies and long-term environmental risk assessment. The research gap includes the understanding of how Selenium can be applied to mitigate heavy metal pollution in farmland soils.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: paper identifies research gap interaction mechanisms different selenium
• Manganese and selenium co-application synergistically mitigates cadmium and arsenic accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) by modulating element diffusion and bacterial network stability (2026) · Plant and Soil · doi

  Although manganese (Mn) and selenium (Se) have been individually reported to mitigate Cd or As accumulation in plants, their combined effects on Cd-As co-contaminated systems remain poorly understood, particularly through mineral-element migration-microbial co-regulation.

  generalabstractevidence 2/5
  Keywords: manganese selenium individually reported mitigate accumulation plants combined effects contaminated systems remain poorly understood particularly

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