title: Effects of fertilization, crop year, variety, and provenance factors on mineral concentrations in onions.
abstract: Mineral concentrations of onions (Allium cepa L.) grown under various conditions, including factors (fertilization, crop year, variety, and provenance), were investigated to clarify how much each factor contributes to the variation of their concentrations. This was because the mineral concentrations might be affected by various factors. The ultimate goal of this study was to develop a technique to determine the geographic origins of onions by mineral composition. Samples were onions grown under various conditions at 52 fields in 18 farms in Hokkaido, Japan. Twenty-six elements (Li, Na, Mg, Al, P, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Y, Mo, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, Gd, W, and Tl) in these samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Fertilization conditions and crop years of onions caused variations of P, Ni, Cu, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cs, and Tl concentrations in onions; different onion varieties also showed variations in numerous element concentrations. However, the variations of mineral compositions of onions by these factors were smaller than the differences between production places with a few exceptions. Furthermore, Na, Rb, and Cs in group IA of the periodic table, Ca, Sr, and Ba in group IIA, and Zn and Cd in group IIB showed similar concentration patterns by group; this result demonstrated that elements in the same periodic groups behaved similarly in terms of their absorption in onions.
authors.affiliation: Center for Food Quality, Labeling and Consumer Services, 2-1 Shintoshin, Saitama-shi 330-9731, Japan. kaoru-ariyama@cfqlcs.go.jp
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ariyama
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kadokura
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yasui
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D005308:Fertilizers; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis*; D019697:Onions / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development*; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D013045:Species Specificity; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D008903:Minerals; D012987:Soil