In situ Determination of K, Ca, S and Si in Fresh Sugar Cane Leaves by Handheld Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

Author(s)

Guerra, Marcelo B. B. ^{[1, 2]} ; Adame, Andressa ^[1] ; De Almeida, Eduardo ^[1] ; Brasil, Marcos A. S. ^[1] ; Schaefer, Carlos E. G. R. ^[3] ; Krug, Francisco J. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Ctr Energia Nucl Agr, Av Centenario 303, BR-13416000 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[2] Black Hills State Univ, Sch Nat Sci, 1200 Univ St, Spearfish, SD 57799 - USA

^[3] Univ Fed Vicosa, Dept Solos, Av Peter Henry Rolfs, BR-36570900 Vicosa, MG - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society; v. 29, n. 5, p. 1086-1093, MAY 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

A portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer was evaluated in the in situ analysis of fresh sugar cane leaves for real time plant nutrition diagnosis. Fresh leaf fragments (n = 10 sugar cane varieties; 20 fragments per leaf; 2 measurement sites per fragment) were irradiated and the averaged data from X-ray characteristic emission lines intensities (for K, Ca, S and Si Kα lines) were in close agreement with mass fraction data obtained by a validated comparative method. The linear correlation coefficients (r) ranged from 0.9575 for Ca to 0.9851 for Si. The obtained limits of detection were at least two-fold lower than the critical nutrient levels. Manganese can also be properly determined, but validation still requires more robust calibration models. The proposed method is a straightforward approach towards the fast evaluation of the nutritional profile of plants avoiding time-consuming steps, which involve drying, grinding, weighing, and acid digestion. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/16203-5 - Strategies for the direct analysis of sugar cane leaves by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS)
• Grantee: Marcelo Braga Bueno Guerra
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral