Evaluation of Analytical Methods for Boron Determination in Maize Shoots

ABSTRACT

For the comparison of the digestion and spectroscopic determination methods used to measure boron (B) concentrations in maize shoots, increasing doses of boron (0, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg kg⁻¹ B) were applied to soil and maize plants (Zea mays L.) cultivar “Euralis Es Armandi” (FAO 640). The plants were grown under greenhouse conditions. Dried and ground maize shoots were digested according to two digestion procedures of microwave and dry ashing. Boron concentrations were determined using spectrophotometer and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The concentrations of boron influenced statistically (p < 0.01) due to the B applications and analysis methods. Spectrophotometric measurement of B amounts of the samples prepared with microwave digestion method was found irrelevant with other indicated methods. However, the ICP-OES measurements were found compatible with the dry ashing also with microwave digestion and suggested as a suitable method to determine boron contents of the maize shoots.

KEYWORDS:

• Boron
• decomposition
• dry ashing
• ICP-OES
• microwave digestion
• spectrophotometer

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to extend their acknowledgments to the Research Fund of Uludag University for the financial support of the Project No. OUAP(Z)-2014/8. The authors also thank to Mr. Sita Sanele KUNENE and Betül Zehra YILMAZ for their valuable contribution to editing the English language of the manuscript.