Citation:
Gemma A. Chope, Leon A. Terry, Use of canonical variate analysis to differentiate onion cultivars by mineral content as measured by ICP-AES. Food Chemistry, Vol. 115, Issue 3, 1 August 2009, p.1108-1113
Abstract:
Three onion cultivars viz. Renate, Ailsa Craig and SS1 were characterised
according to their mineral content. The concentrations of the macronutrients
phosphorus, potassium, calcium, manganese and sulphur and the micronutrients
iron, boron, manganese, copper and zinc were analysed in freshly harvested and
stored onion bulbs using ICP-AES (Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission
spectroscopy). Onions were treated pre-harvest with additional sulphur (100 kg
ha−1) and/or calcium (300 kg ha−1) applied in four combinations at the time of
seed drilling, however these treatments did not affect the total concentrations
of sulphur or calcium in the harvested bulbs. The data were subjected to
canonical variate analysis in order to determine the most appropriate variate to
discriminate between cultivars. Two canonical variates were sufficient to
differentiate between the three cultivars, with the first canonical variate
describing differences in micronutrients between the genotypes and the second
separating the cultivars by differences in sulphur concentrat
