Statistical differentiation of bananas according to their mineral composition.
The concentrations of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn were determined in banana cultivars Gran enana and Pequeña enana cultivated in Tenerife and in cv. Gran enana bananas from Ecuador. The mineral concentrations in the bananas from Tenerife and from Ecuador were clearly different. The cultivar did not influence the mineral concentrations except in the case of Fe. Variations according to cultivation method (greenhouse and outdoors) and farming style (conventional and organic) in the mineral concentrations in the bananas from Tenerife were observed. The mineral concentrations in the internal part of the banana were higher than those in the middle and external parts. Representation of double log correlations K-Mg and Zn-Mn tended to separate the banana samples according to origin. Applying factor and cluster analysis, the bananas from Ecuador were well separated from the bananas produced in Tenerife, and therefore, these are useful tools for differentiating the origin of bananas.
Mineral composition of the banana (Musa acuminata) from the island of Tenerife.
The content of major (Na, K, Ca, Mg and P) and minor elements (Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn and B) in bananas consumed on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, has been determined. Significant differences were observed in the mineral contents of the banana samples, with higher K, Mg, P, Fe, Cu, Zn and B levels in the banana grown in north Tenerife and a higher Ca content in the banana originating in the south of the island. Differences between these mineral contents and the fruit reported in the literature have been established and a comparison has been carried out with diverse food composition tables. The banana is shown to contribute to the recommended daily requirements of K, Mg, Cu and B.
Spatial distribution of root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) in a long-term no-till cropping system and their relationship with soil and landscape properties
The Cook Agronomy Farm of Washington State University is a long-term precision agriculture study site. Since 2000, the farm has been in various three-year no-till rotations with winter wheat, spring wheat, and various rotation crops such as barley, canola, peas, lentils, and chickpea. The spatial distribution of root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) and their relationships with soil and terrain variables were studied by collecting soil samples at 127 and 124 geo-referenced points in two 12-ha fields during the spring of 2010 and 2011, respectively. Pratylenchus spp. were detected in more than 85% of the sampled locations in both fields. Nematode densities spatially mapped using ArcGIS software occurred in an aggregated pattern. Previous rotation crops had no effect on the spatial distribution. Classification and regression tree analysis (CART) using soil and terrain variables, and nematode density, explained 61 and 34% of the variability associated with nematode density in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Soil edaphic factors, such as organic matter, were stronger predictors of nematode populations than rotation effects.