Elemental content of Vietnamese rice. Part 2. Multivariate data analysis

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Food Science

Background:

• Elemental composition of rice is crucial for nutritional value and quality.
• Variability in rice elemental content can be influenced by diverse environmental and agricultural factors.
• Understanding these influences is key to optimizing rice production for enhanced quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the elemental content of rice from different geographical locations.
• To investigate the impact of environmental and cultivation variables on rice elemental composition.
• To assess rice quality using elemental content and physio-biological properties.

Main Methods:

• Elemental analysis using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES), ICP-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), and Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS).
• Multivariate data analysis, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), to identify influencing factors.
• Multi-criteria decision-making method (PROMETHEE) for rice quality assessment.

Main Results:

• Geographical location, grain variety, season, and soil conditions significantly affect rice elemental content.
• Sticky rice varieties showed higher levels of essential elements (P, K, Mg) compared to non-sticky varieties.
• Rice from the wet season exhibited superior elemental and physio-biological quality compared to the dry season.

Conclusions:

• Environmental and cultivation practices are critical determinants of rice elemental profiles and quality.
• Rice quality assessment requires a multi-faceted approach considering both elemental and physio-biological properties.
• Optimizing cultivation for wet season production may yield higher quality rice.