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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » WHGQ » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #424621
Research Project: Wheat and Barley Adaptation to a Changing Climate - Discovery of Genetic and Physiological Processes for Improved Crop Productivity and Quality

Location: Wheat Health, Genetics, and Quality Research

Title: An energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence method for screening grain calcium, zinc, iron, manganese, and copper in wheat

Author
item KLARQUIST, EMILY - Washington State University
item BRADEN, JESSICA - Washington State University
item Finnie, Sean
item MURPHY, KEVIN - Washington State University
item Garland Campbell, Kimberly

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/25/2026
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Biofortification, defined as the use of conventional plant breeding and agronomic approaches to increase the micronutrient concentration in crops, is a sustainable and low-cost intervention to improve nutrient intake for target populations experiencing chronic micronutrient malnutrition. Through biofortification strategies, crops and food products can be enhanced for multiple nutrients without increasing consumer prices or production costs. The objective of this study was to develop a multi-element method to simultaneously measure Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn in whole seed wheat samples. The elements were selected based on their significance in biofortification research and the subsequent impact on human and environmental health. he study supports previous calibrations developed for Zn, Fe, and Ca in wheat and expands the analytes that can be measured in whole wheat samples. This method reduces phenotyping costs for multi-element analysis and will advance our understanding of the genetic and environmental factors involved in grain mineral composition.

Technical Abstract: Crop biofortification programs require high-throughput phenotyping to identify and develop nutrient-dense genotypes successfully. This study aimed to develop a multi-element method to simultaneously measure calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in whole seed wheat samples using the energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF). Grain samples of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) of differing market classes were analyzed using microwave atomic-emission spectrometry (MP-AES) to determine reference concentrations of each analyte. A set of 29 genotypes was used for EDXRF calibration and another 40 for validation. The EDXRF limits of quantification (LOQ) were estimated at 66 mg kg-1, 3.5, 1.7, 1.1, and 2.9 for, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn, respectively. EDXRF were moderately to highly correlated with MP-AES values. Standard errors of EDXRF prediction (mg kg-1) were 36.37 Ca, 3.29 Mn, 2.52 Fe, 0.31 Cu, and 1.54 for Zn. The EDXRF method provides a non-destructive and multi-element analysis of wheat samples.