Relationships between minerals in Australian brown rice

Abstract

AbstractNinety samples of brown rice cv Amaroo, which has occupied over 50% of the area sown to rice in southern Australia in the last two seasons, were collected from the rice growing regions of southern Australia at the end of the 1991–1992 season. The samples were analysed for total nitrogen using the Kjeldahl technique, and for P, K, S, Mg, Ca, Na, Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo and Zn using inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy. The analysis of concentrations of elements show that Mn concentrations in Australian rice were higher and Ca concentrations lower than typical values reported for brown rice grown in other countries. For all other elements the concentrations had a similar range to those reported for overseas rice. Highly significant correlations were found between the major nutrients P, K and Mg, and also N and S. The Mg to K ratio ranged from 1·3 to 1·6 which indicates that, if Japanese criteria are used, the taste/stickiness quality within this cultivar of Australian rice could vary from undesirable to highly desirable.