Background

Selenium is an essential trace element for animal nutrition but not for plants.
It is necessary for growth and fertility of animals and for the prevention of various animal diseases.
Selenium acts together with vitamin E as an anti-oxidant, as well as having an important thyroid function.
Symptoms of selenium deficiency in livestock include stiff-legged walking motion, poor growth and in severe cases, sudden death can occur.
Australian soils are generally low in selenium. This has an effect on the food chain causing metabolic disorders in livestock, and low levels of selenium in human foodstuffs.
Selenium Chip™ is designed for application to pastures where the selenium is taken up by the plants through their root system. Grazing of these pastures then transfers the available selenium to the grazing animals.
This method of selenium uptake by the grazing animals means the risk of selenium overdose is very low when Selenium Chip™ is applied at recommended rates.
Selenium Chip™ is easy to use, takes minimal time and requires no animal handling.
Soil tests, pasture tests and or blood tests are all tools that farmers can access to get the most accurate level of detail to what amount of selenium is available/present for their livestock.

What is Selenium Chip?

Selenium Chip™ is a granule formulation containing 10g/kg (1%) selenium as sodium selenite.

BENEFITS OF SELENIUM CHIP™

• Selenium Chip™ provides cost-efficient protection against selenium deficiency in livestock for up to 12 months following application
• Fast uptake by plants
• Easy to apply, saving time and labour. Simply add to the annual fertilizer application for the one pass over your pasture paddocks
• No animal handling required, therefore reducing animal stress
• Low risk of selenium toxicity when Selenium Chip™ is applied to paddocks at recommended rates

Why is Selenium Important?

Selenium is an essential element for animals for fertility and general health, but non-essential for plants. Selenium is required by sheep,
beef cattle, dairy cows, deer and horses:

• Protection against selenium deficiency in sheep, beef cattle, dairy cows and horses
• Selenium has an effect on growth and fertility in animals and has a role in the prevention of various livestock diseases including:

- White Muscle Disease

- Infertility

- Ill thrift and susceptibility to other diseases

- Reduced productivity including milk yield, wool growth, liveweight gains

How Does Selenium Chip Work?

Selenium Chip™ encapsulates selenium in a safe polymer coating until soil moisture is present for release.

The sodium selenate form of selenium is readily available for plant uptake. Selenium applied to deficient soil is taken up by plants
through their root system. Grazing of forage then transfers Selenium to the animal. This method of uptake by grazing animals means the
risk of Selenium overdose is very low when Selenium Chip™ is applied at the recommended rate.

Research has shown that livestock may only need to graze a selenium treated pasture for 16 weeks, during which time sufficient
selenium is stored to maintain blood Selenium levels above 250nmol/L for a further 35-40 weeks, providing 12 months supplementation.
The duration of protection may be lower in high rainfall areas and high leaching soils.