Nitrate and nitrite in Australian leafy vegetables
S. E. Parks A C , D. O. Huett A , L. C. Campbell B and L. J. Spohr AA NSW Department of Primary Industries, Gosford Horticultural Institute, Gosford, NSW 2250, Australia.
B Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: sophie.parks@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 59(7) 632-638 https://doi.org/10.1071/AR07198
Submitted: 21 May 2007 Accepted: 31 March 2008 Published: 3 July 2008
Abstract
A market survey of Australian leafy vegetables and a winter and spring experiment with Swiss chard were conducted to examine nitrate and nitrite levels in leaves. The relationship between growth response to nitrogen (N) supply and light level and accumulation of N in leaves was of particular interest. The survey that included 7 types of lettuce and endive (Asteraceae), 6 leafy Asian vegetables (Brassicaceae), and Swiss chard and spinach (Amaranthaceae) showed that fresh leafy vegetables available during a 6-month period on the Australian market can range in nitrate-N from 12 to 1400 mg/kg fresh weight and nitrite-N from 0 to 37.5 mg/kg. Some samples exceeded the limits for nitrate and nitrite based on international food safety standards. The response of Swiss chard to N supply and light was investigated. The accumulation of nitrate in Swiss chard was primarily influenced by increasing N supply and not by light level. Light conditions for all treatments in both the winter and spring experiments exceeded the critical level (~200 μmol/m2.s) required to increase leaf nitrate. Growth and leaf nitrate concentration were higher for spring, associated with average minimum to maximum temperatures of 18–39°C, compared with 14–28°C for winter. Treatment effects on nitrite-N in Swiss chard could not be determined because nitrite was only detected in one-third of plants. The importance of N supply in affecting nitrate accumulation in vegetables is highlighted by the Swiss chard experiments. It confirmed that nitrate accumulation occurs at optimal to supra-optimal nitrate supply, emphasising for growers the undesirable effect of excessive fertiliser use.
Additional keywords: nitrates, shading, Beta vulgaris, lettuce, Asian vegetables.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by funding from Horticulture Australia Ltd. The authors thank Joshua Jarvis for skilful technical support and Dr Tony Haigh and the anonymous reviewers for critically reviewing the manuscript.
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