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A Rapid Method for Determining Hydrocyanic Acid Content of Single Plants of Sudan Grass
Author(s) -
Hogg P. G.,
Ahlgren H. L.
Publication year - 1942
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1942.00021962003400020011x
Subject(s) - agricultural experiment station , citation , state (computer science) , agriculture , content (measure theory) , computer science , information retrieval , mathematics , library science , geography , algorithm , archaeology , mathematical analysis
A method for determining the amount of hydrocyanic acid in green plant material based on the picric acid test was proposed by Pethybridge1 in ~9~9. The use of chloroform in the test was suggested by Mirande,2 while Nowosad and MacVicar~ later substituted toluene. The procedure used at the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station for testing single plants of sudan grass is a modification of the method devised by Nowosad and MacVicar. The method consists of placing o. ~ 5 gram of green plant material, cut into shor~ pieces with a scissors or macerated, in a test tube, adding 3 or 4 drops of chloroform, and suspending a strip of moist filter paper saturated with sodium picrate solution above the mixture. Th6 saturated filter paper is held in place with a cork stopper which also serves to seM the test tube. The tube with contents is incubated at room temperature (2o° C) for ~2 to 24 hours. The sodium picrate present in the filter paper is reduced to a reddish compound in proportion to the amount of hydrocyanic acid evolved. The color produced is dissolved by placing the paper in a clean test tube containing :o ce of distilled water after which the color of the water is matched with color standards. The test is sufficiently quantitative to serve as a basis for the selection of plants low in hydrocyanic acid. The results may be expressed in relative .terms such as "high", "medium", or "low" or in approximate p.p.m, based on the percentage dry matter in the sample. As test material, actively growing, vigorous tillers from 5 to 7 inches in length can be used regardless of the height of growth of the remaining portions of the plant. The samples for analysis for hydrocyanic acid are taken from that portion of the tiller immediately below the uppermost leaf collar.