A rapid and safe method of estimating nanomole quantities of P, K+, Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in plant material by perchloric acid digestion.
A method for the determination of nanomole amounts of P and major cations in samples of dried plant tissue is described. Samples weighing 2-7 mg were digested by refluxing tissue in a mixture of perchloric and nitric acids, under conditions which minimized the hazards associated with perchloric acid digestion. In most tissues analyzed, reproducibility between triplicate samples was less than +/- 5%. However, where the amount of P in the tissue was very low (samples contained about 50 nmol P each), the variation between triplicates was greater.
D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D002412:Cations / Q000032:analysis*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000032:analysis; D008722:Methods; D008832:Microchemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010472:Perchlorates; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis; D010944:Plants / Q000032:analysis*; D011188:Potassium / Q000032:analysis; D012964:Sodium / Q000032:analysis; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
D002412:Cations; D010472:Perchlorates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010758:Phosphorus; D012964:Sodium; D008274:Magnesium; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium