Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is widely adopted for assessing biochemical composition in agriculture. This study evaluated the feasibility of 400 MHz NMR to detect biochemical differences in Hass avocados grown under conventional (N = 101) and regenerative (N = 105) farming practices in Southwestern Australia. Phosphite, associated with Phytophthora root rot management, was a key discriminating feature (area under ROC curve = 0.96), being detected in 90% of conventional avocados (mean: 49 mg/kg) and 6 regenerative samples (mean: 24 mg/kg). To assess translational potential, water extracts of five samples were analyzed using 80 MHz benchtop NMR. Phosphite was detectable below the strictest maximum residue limit (25 mg/kg), demonstrating the potential of NMR as a sustainable and cost-effective solution for monitoring phosphite residues. This proof-of-concept benchtop NMR approach demonstrates analytical feasibility but requires further validation before application in field-based traceability or regulatory contexts, with a potential future relevance to environmental monitoring, sustainable agriculture, and other crop systems.
Bernal et al. (Wed,) studied this question.