Evaluation of Portable X‐Ray Fluorescence ( pXRF ) as a Rapid Tool for Mineral Phenotyping in Cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study evaluated the applicability of Portable X‐ray Fluorescence (pXRF) for rapid determination of seed mineral concentrations in cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] by comparing pXRF measurements with those obtained using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Fifty‐seven cowpea genotypes, including two check varieties, were analysed for iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca). Simple linear regression was used to assess the relationship between pXRF‐ and AAS‐derived mineral concentrations using training ( n = 47) and independent validation ( n = 10) datasets. The pXRF measurements showed good agreement with the corresponding AAS values for both macro‐ and micronutrients, with comparatively stronger relationships observed for Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu. Residual and normal Q–Q plot analyses supported the suitability of the regression models. The findings demonstrate that pXRF enables rapid, simultaneous multielement analysis with minimal sample preparation and provides an efficient approach for high‐throughput mineral phenotyping and biofortification‐oriented cowpea breeding programmes.

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