gewasanalyse

Gewasanalyse is the examination and interpretation of crop samples to assess nutritional status, health, and quality, identify nutrient deficiencies or toxicities, and monitor contaminant levels or pesticide residues. It is performed by agronomists, crop scientists, or analytical laboratories and supports decision-making in fertilization, crop management, and quality control in food and feed chains.

Methods include sampling design, such as collecting representative plant tissue (leaves, stems, or grains) at defined growth stages and proper handling to avoid contamination. Laboratory analyses typically cover macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur) and micronutrients (zinc, iron, manganese, copper, boron, molybdenum), as well as quality indicators like protein, starch, moisture, and, when relevant, pesticide residues or heavy metals. Non-destructive approaches, including SPAD chlorophyll measurements and remote sensing with spectral indices (e.g., NDVI), can complement tissue analyses to monitor status over time.

Process-wise, gewasanalyse involves planning, sampling, laboratory analysis, and interpreting results against crop-specific sufficiency levels or reference ranges to produce management recommendations, such as targeted fertilization or corrective actions.

Applications span diagnosing nutrient imbalances, optimizing fertilizer strategies, assessing crop quality for feed or food, supporting breeding trials, and monitoring environmental impacts on crops. Limitations include sampling and temporal variability, potential matrix effects in analyses, interpretive uncertainty, and associated costs and turnaround times.

See also plant tissue analysis, soil testing, nutrient management, and crop science.