Thiocyanate content in relation to the quality features of radish Raphanus sativus L.

Relationships between radish thiocyanate content and its dry weight, the content of sugar, protein, fibre, ascorbic acid, some minerals, the incidence of plant shooting, the firmness and pithiness of storage-roots, and the ratio of leaves to storage-root(wt/wt) were investigated. The analysis of linear correlation was based on numerous data from the 4-year field experiment with six radish cultivars and different sowing and harvest dales. The content of thiocyanate in radish roots was found to be positively correlated with their dry weight, and the content of total protein crude fibre and soluble sugar a strong relationship was found between the content of thiocyanate and dry weight of radish leaves. The negative correlation between the thiocyanate content in the leaves and the firmness of storage roots and the positive correlation with their pithiness might indicate the translocation of this compounds into green plant parts during the ageing of root tissue. The root thiocyanate content and the percentage of shooting correlated significantly only in the case of Tokinashi. The closeness of relations between the ratio of leaves/storage-root and thiocyanate content, though in general small, was affected also by a cultivar. A similar effect was observed for the correlations between the thiocyanate contents in leaves and storage-roots.