I am breeding lettuce for increased levels of iron and calcium. It is too time consuming to take extracts of every plant and test for Fe and Ca concentrations. Is there any faster way to screen thousands of lettuce plants to select the ones with high levels of Fe and Ca?
I just responded to your other question on this topic before seeing this question.
Hani Antoun's answer is a partial solution, but as there are several elements that contribute to the colour of chlorophyll, so you cannot be sure that low chlorophyll = low Fe, as it could also be low Mg or low Cu. N and S deficiency can also cause chlorosis (decreasing the "greenness" that the chlorphyll meter measures).
Will growing plants in low Fe conditions achieve what you want? It may identify lines that acquire Fe more efficiently at low Fe availability, rather than high levels of Fe at normal Fe availability (your original question), but it might reduce some of your workload if you grow the efficient lines and then grow them in normal conditions and test them destructively by ICP. (NB You will miss the ones that are inefficient at Low Fe but acquire more Fe when adequately supplied).
@Hani Thank you, I have heard that high Fe is correlated with a darker green color. However I agree with Matthew and am not sure that this cannot pinpoint Fe levels.
@Matthew, maybe low Fe conditions would work, but that would be selecting for plants that are tolerant to low Fe conditions. The question then becomes does a plant that acquires Fe more efficiently at low Fe availability ALSO acquire high levels of Fe at normal Fe availability?
I think I will post this new question.
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