A Study of Variation of Mineral Elements Content in Prickly Burs during the Development of Chinquapin

摘要

By measuring the changes of the contents of 10 mineral elements in prickly burs during the course of development of prickly burs, the results indicated that as prickly burs grew larger and nuts gradually developed, the contents of N, P, Cu, Fe, and Zn in prickly burs declined in a whole. Amongst 10 measured mineral elements, only the contents of Zn and Cu were extremely positively related to each other while there were no significant correlations between other mineral elements, demonstrating that there are no significant or extremely significant mutual antagonisms between various mineral elements. Both chinquapin prickly burs and fruits were rich in a variety of mineral elements, most of whose contents varied significantly in the same period. The contents of K, Fe, Mn and Ca in nuts were obviously lower than those in prickly burs, with the contents of the former three minerals in nuts half of those in prickly burs and the content of Ca in nuts one fourth of that in prickly burs. Fruits had a bit higher contents of Mg, B and Cu than prickly burs, especially the content of Zn in nuts 2.2 times than that in prickly burs. The results indicated that as a part of fruit, chinquapin prickly burs at least absorbed half of mineral nutrients, having a significant influence on the development and yield of nuts.