Content of mineral elements in maize seed subjected to accelerated aging test

Abstract

Mineralni elementi u semenu predstavljaju ključne nutrijente koji učestvuju u metaboličkim procesima klijanja i ranog razvoja biljaka, te mogu značajno uticati na vitalnost i prinos useva. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je da se utvrdi sadržaj odabranih mineralnih elemenata (Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Na, S i Zn) u organskom i konvencionalnom semenu kukuruza (sorta Rumenka poreklom sa oglednog polja Instituta za kukuruz “Zemun Polje”), kao i da se isprati njihova raspodela u klijancima nakon primene testa ubrzanog starenja. Seme kukuruza bilo je izloženo temperaturi od 41 °C i relativnoj vlažnosti vazduha od 100% tokom 72 h. Nakon tretmana određena je klijavost semena standardnom metodom prema ISTA pravilima, a sadržaj mineralnih elemenata analiziran je primenom ICPOES metode. Najveće koncentracije Fe zabeležene su u korenu kontrolnih biljaka organskog porekla (799,68 μg/g), dok su nakon ubrzanog starenja pale na 590,80 μg/g. Sličan trend zabeležen je i za Mn, koji je u kontrolnom korenu konvencionalnog kukuruza iznosio 79,19 μg/g, a nakon tretmana 30,79 μg/g. Ca je bio posebno zastupljen u korenu organskog kukuruza (5139,07 μg/g u kontroli), dok su S i Zn pokazali umereniju promenu, pri čemu su vrednosti Zn u nadzemnom delu konvencionalnog kukuruza rasle sa 58,92 μg/g na 64,60 μg/g. Na je u semenu organskog kukuruza bio ispod granice detekcije (<0,005 μg/g), dok je u korenu kontrolnih biljaka dostizao 3774,53 μg/g. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju na to da ubrzano starenje dovodi do smanjenja sadržaja većine elemenata, posebno Fe, Mn i Na, i da su promene izraženije kod organskog semena, dok konvencionalno u pojedinim slučajevima zadržava stabilniji mineralni profil.Mineral elements in seeds are essential nutrients involved in the metabolic processes of germination and early plant development, and can significantly influence crop vitality and yield. The aim of this study was to determine the content of selected mineral elements (Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Na, S, and Zn) in organic and conventional maize seeds (cv. Rumenka, originating from the experimental field of the Maize Research Institute “Zemun Polje”), as well as to monitor their distribution in seedlings after the application of the accelerated aging test. Maize seeds were exposed to a temperature of 41 °C and relative air humidity of 100% for 72 h. After the treatment, seed germination was determined using the standard method according to ISTA rules, and the mineral element content was analyzed by ICP-OES. The highest Fe concentrations were recorded in the roots of control plants of organic origin (799.68 μg/g), decreasing to 590.80 μg/g after accelerated aging. A similar trend was observed for Mn, which in the control roots of conventional maize was 79.19 μg/g, decreasing to 30.79 μg/g after treatment. Ca was particularly abundant in the roots of organic maize (5139.07 μg/g in control), while S and Zn showed moderate changes, with Zn values in the shoots of conventional maize increasing from 58.92 μg/g to 64.60 μg/g. Na in organic maize seeds was below the detection limit (<0.005 μg/g), while in the roots of control plants it reached 3774.53 μg/g. The results indicate that accelerated aging leads to a reduction in the content of most elements, particularly Fe, Mn, and Na, with changes being more pronounced in organic seeds, whereas conventional seeds in some cases maintained a more stable mineral profile