The effects of advancing season on the chemical composition of marrow stem kale

Abstract

1. Four varieties of marrow stem kale in the first season, and thirteen in the second, were sampled on three occasions during the first half of the winter. Intervals between samplings were up to 1 month. The plants in the samples were divided into leaf, top half of the stem, and bottom half. The levels of dry matter, proximate constituents and minerals were determined in each sample.2. The differences in composition between the three main fractions of the plant were highly significant for all the chemical constituents, except magnesium. The values for the chemical constituents in the top half of the stem were intermediate between those of the leaf and the bottom half of the stem for most constituents; it had the lowest values for dry matter and the highest for potassium and phosphorus. The distribution of chemical constituents between the whole stem and the leaf were similar to those reported previously.