13151 10.30848/PJB2026-8(1) <p> Exploring the production of naturally selenium-enriched crisp plums series in suitable areas of Chongqing, China</p> Xieping Sun, Fei Yu, Shizhen Li and Hongqun Li <p> The Crisp plum series is popular in the southwest of China, especially in Chongqing, where not all areas are suitable for its growth. Selenium (Se), an essential trace element for human health, typically transfers from soil to food, making soil Se content a key consideration. Using MaxEnt and ArcGIS, we analyzed 186 planting sites and 19 bioclimatic variables and one altitude variable to model suitable growing areas. Results showed that moderate-suitable areas were the largest, covering approximately 4.93&times;10⁴ km²(59.54% of the total region). High-suitable areas were limited to northeastern Chongqing, covering only 0.26 &times;10⁴ km²(3.21%). Key factors influencing the suitability of crisp plum series included seasonal temperature change, mean temperature of the wettest quarter, precipitation of the driest month, and precipitation of the driest quarter. Although Nanchuan District has the highest reported soil Se content in Chongqing, it primarily falls within the moderate-suitable class (mainly in the northwest), while low-suitable and unsuitable areas fall within the southeast. Se content in sampled fruits ranged from 3.8 to 9.1 &mu;g/kg FW, below China&rsquo;s standard for naturally selenium-enriched fruits (10-500 &mu;g/kg FW). This study provides critical insights for optimizing crisp plum cultivation and guiding future production of naturally selenium-containing fruits in Chongqing region.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> Published 2026 58 8 1719 1726