Agronomy journal, Vol. 76 No. 3, 2014.
Original scientific paper
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF DANDELION POPULATIONS FROM KRIŽEVCI AND RIJEKA AREA
Renata Erhatić
; Visoko gospodarsko učilište u Križevcima, M. Demerca 1, Križevci
Marija Vukobratović
; Visoko gospodarsko učilište u Križevcima, M. Demerca 1, Križevci
Slavica Dudaš
orcid.org/0000-0003-3642-5468
; Veleučilište u Rijeci, Trpimirova 2/V, Rijeka
Mirjana Mužić
; Visoko gospodarsko učilište u Križevcima, M. Demerca 1, Križevci
Abstract
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale L.) is a meadow plant that grows and blooms from early spring to late autumn. The whole plant is edible and medicinal (rich in vitamin C and minerals such as potassium, iron, sodium and phosphorus, as well as essential oils and fatty acids), and therefore it is often collected from natural habitats. Young leaves are picked before the dandelion begins to flourish, and are used to prepare salads. The flowers are used for honey production, while the roots are removed in the autumn, and due to a high inulin content they are used as a substitute for coffee, and have a good effect on intestinal peristalsis. Since nutritional value of plants depends on agroclimatic conditions in which they grow and on the amount of available nutrients in the soil, we wanted to determine whether these factors affect the chemical composition of dandelion leaves. Samples of dandelion were taken at four Križevci locations and at two locations in Rijeka, and agrochemical soil properties and concentrations of nutrients in plants were established. The descriptive statistical parameters show that the chemical properties of soil are variable. The most variable feature is physiologically available phosphorus (CV = 159.92%), while the least variable is soil reaction (CV = 5.91%). Concentrations of biogenic elements (N, P and K) in the leaves, as well as vitamin C have a low coefficient of variability. Correlations between tested chemical properties of dandelion and soil properties show that the nitrogen and phosphorus concentration is in a significantly strong (P<0.05) negative correlation with nitrogen in the soil, and positive with phosphorus. Vitamin C concentration indicates negative correlation with phosphorus concentration.
Keywords
dandelion (Taraxacum officinale L.); chemical composition; soil; correlations
Hrčak ID:
136498
URI
Publication date:
18.2.2015.
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