Our infrastructure unit Central Analytics offers a wide range of analytical methods for the acquisition of data in agriculture, in the value chain of horticultural products and for non-food biomass use pathways. This includes the analysis of soil samples, roots, biochar, digestate, energy crops, water and wastewater.
We thus support the development of new innovative methods and customised (post-harvest) processes and contribute to a biobased circular economy and global food security by minimising product losses.
Methods
Our analytical methods include gas chromatography, gravimetry, determination of physical parameters, sum parameters, atomic spectroscopy, elemental analysis, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ion chromatography for the determination of:
- plant available nutrient content according to VDLUFA
- total phosphorus
- Kjeldahl nitrogen
- organic carbon
- chemical oxygen demand
- pH-value
- sugar and lactic acid
- starch
- fermentation acids
- fiber and fat content
In the fields of carbohydrate analysis and the determination of fermentation acids in biogas reactors, the working group regularly participates successfully in round robin tests.
The quality determination of fresh and low-processed horticultural products ranges from cultivation to the ready-to-eat product and also includes processing steps such as the processing of fresh-cut products, product drying or other hygienisation procedures.
To determine physiological product properties, we use texture analyses, respiration measurements and determine the water status.
With the test methods spectroscopy, titration, high performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry we determine:
- organic acids
- total phenols
- pectins
- sugar (Brix)
- ascorbic acid
- antioxidants
- hydroxymethylfurfural
- anthocyanins
- carotenes
- chlorophylls
- particle size distribution
- volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs) of horticultural products
- and the atmosphere in packages
