A rapid method for determining the efficiency of biosynthesis of plant biomass

A strictly linear relation was established between the carbon and ash contents of plant biomass and the relative amount of substrate required to produce this biomass. Data concerned storage organs of crops of widely different biochemical composition. Amounts of substrate required were calculated by an analysis of the metabolic pathways for the synthesis of the principal components of biomass. Carbon contents were derived from the biomass composition. A linear relation was also established between biomass carbon and ash contents and the CO 2 loss during biosynthesis. The linearity of both relations and the ease with which the carbon and ash contents of new biomass samples can be determined accurately imply that the previous procedure for determining the conversion efficiency for plant biomass and growth respiration can be simplified substantially with a gain in accuracy.